Bury Town survived an almighty scare to beat Felixstowe & Walton United, 6-5 on penalties, after a thrilling 120 minutes saw the sides share six goals, last night.

Blues stopper Neil O’Sullivan saved Sheridan Driver’s sudden death spot kick to put the Blues through to the last four, but only after the west Suffolk side had squandered a three-goal lead.

The Ryman North side, managed by Ben Chenery, went 3-0 up after 29 minutes, courtesy of an Ollie Hughes brace and a goal from Ollie Canfer.

However, former Bury defender Callum Bennett gave Felixstowe hope just before the break, before second half goals from striker, Miles Powell and Driver, the latter on 80 minutes, set up a grandstand finish.

There were no more goals in extra-time and when the game went to penalties, Powell fired his kick over the bar, only for the Blues’ Phil Weavers to see his effort brilliant saved by Danny Crump.

The game contest went to sudden death and it was Driver who was the unlucky man, his weak effort being smothered by the impressive O’Sullivan

There was no sign of the drama to come as the Blues took what looked to be an unassailable 3-0 lead within the first 29 minutes of the game.

The Ryman League North Division side were good value for their lead too, looking exceptionally quick on the break and attacking in numbers, playing some slick football in the process.

However, all three of their goals were executed in the simplest of fashion, the hosts failing to deal with two corner kicks and a long throw in.

After Bury goalkeeper O’Sullivan made a fine reflex save to tip Powell’s volley from the edge of the box over for a corner, the visitors took a 10th-minute lead.

A low delivery from the left to the front post, was flicked towards goal by new signing Connor Hall and Hughes prodded the ball over the line.

The goal had come slightly against the run of play but gave Bury the confidence to dominate the majority of the remaining first half minutes.

Two minutes later a pacy run and cross from Matt Skeddington couldn’t quite be turned home by Hughes and that miss almost proved costly, O’Sullivan tipping over the bar again, this time from Danny Smy.

The visitors were looking increasingly dangerous breaking from deep though and from one such counter, on-loan Ipswich Town midfielder Cemal Ramadan tested Crump in the Felixstowe goal with a 35-yard dipping shot that was tipped over the bar by the stopper.

Hughes then had a header tipped out for a corner and from the resultant set-piece the prolific striker was in the right place at the back post as Ramadan’s deep corner hit his head and went into the net, six yards out.

The Seasiders had conceded from two corners and let in a third on 29 minutes from another set-piece. Darcy De’Ath’s long throw was flicked into the danger area and Canfer was there to finish from close range.

Remi Garrett then saw an effort saved by Crump which, had it gone in, would have definitely put the game to bed.

As it was, the hosts never gave up and Bennett gave the Seasiders hope three minutes from the break, the former Bury man cutting in from the right full-back position and firing a low left-foot shot past O’Sullivan into the far corner.

That goal lifted the hosts who started the second half the stronger, O’Sullivan saving on his line from Driver’s close range effort.

Felixstowe were unrecognisable from the first half, keeping Bury pinned in their own half and after O’Sullivan palmed away Powell’s goalbound free-kick, he was helpless to stop the same player heading past him on the line on 75 minutes from Bennett’s teasing inswinging cross.

The comeback was complete on 80 minutes, Driver heading into an unguarded net after O’Sullivan came and missed another high cross from Bennett.

That brought extra-time which yielded no further goals, Armani Schaar coming closest at the death but being denied by O’Sullivan. Therefore, penalty kicks loomed.

Ramadan, Matt Collins, Hall, James Patterson, De’Ath and Craig Nurse scored Bury’s penalties, while Kyron Andrews, Schaar, Stuart Ainsley, Bennett and Rhys Barber scored penalties for the Thurlow Nunn Premier Division hosts who were unlucky to go out.