Four goals and two red cards in Bury Town’s opening day win over Basildon

Ross Crane, on the ball, one of five players who made their full debuts for Bury Town, against Basildon. Picture: CARL MARSTON (Image: Archant)

Bury Town celebrated a winning start to their 2019-20 campaign, in Isthmian League North, comfortably defeating Basildon United at a sun-kissed Ram Meadow this afternoon.

It was an entertaining match, although it was also a feisty affair with both sides picking up red cards.

Early goals by Cemal Ramadan and Ryan Jolland put Bury in the driving seat, before Basildon, reduced to 10 men by Adam Vyse's 33rd minute dismissal, pulled a goal back just two minutes later through Ayomikun Odukoya.

However, dominant Bury, despite squandering countless chances, restored their two-goal lead just after the hour mark via an Ollie Hughes close-range volley to wrap up the three points.

It's all smiles as Bury Town players celebrate taking the lead inside two minutes, on the opening day clash against Basildon United. Bury went on to win 3-1. Picture: CARL MARSTON (Image: Archant)

Jolland was sent off for retaliation, with 11 minutes remaining, but Basildon never really threatened a late rally.

Bury shot out of the blocks in devastating fashion, playing some slick attacking football and quickly building up a two-goal lead inside the first 10 minutes.

The opener arrived in the second minute, an unmarked Ramadan superbly steering home from eight yards out, in a central position.

Basildon were on the rocks and Ramadan trapped a through ball just 60 seconds only later, his final shot being deflected narrowly wide of target.

Only the woodwork denied Bury a second goal in the fourth minute. Ross Crane, one of five full debutants for the West Suffolk side, crashed a 20-yard rocket onto the post, and Ramadan's close-range effort from the follow-up was palmed around the near upright by busy keeper Louis Hawes.

Two minutes later and Hawes performed heroics to keep out a goalbound header from another of Bury's debutants, centre-half Taylor Hastings, following Ollie Fenn's excellent cross. The ball was clawed over the bar.

But Chenery's men did double their lead in the ninth minute, Jolland curling a terrific 20-yarder into the roof of the net, after being teed-up by Hughes.

Bury had several other chances to increase their lead. Fenn headed narrowly wide from Will Gardner's cross in the 13th minute, while Ramadan's angled shot on 24 minutes was well saved by Hawes, at his near post.

The match became quite feisty, midway through the first half, and then boiled over when Basildon striker Adam was sent off in the 33rd minute, after appearing to lash out at Crane inside the Bury box.

Down to 10 men, Basildon pulled a goal back just two minutes later, against the run of play, when Reece Hewitt's deep free-kick to the far post was accurately headed into the opposite corner of the net by Odukoya. Debutant keeper Daniel Barden was caught in no man's land from that set piece.

Bury would have been disappointed to just be 2-1 up at the interval.

They did have the ball in the back of the net, early in the second half, when Joe White's 20-yarder deceived keeper Hawes and sneaked in at the near post, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside.

Hughes and Ramadan both peppered the target from close-range, as Bury searched for the killer third goal.

And the third goal duly arrived in the 61st minute. A sweeping move, started by Jolland, ended with Joe Hood delivering a precise cross for Hughes to hit the target with an instinctive volley at the near post.

It was 10 versus 10 when Jolland was shown a red card in the 79th minute, for retaliation, following a foul by substitute Harry Doyle, who escaped with just a yellow card.

Squads

BURY: Barden, Hood, Gardner, Fenn, White, Hastings, Chambers-Shaw (sub Robson, 74), Jolland, Hughes, Ramadan (sub Nyadzayo, 64), Crane (sub Maughn, 87). Unused subs: Stafford, Machaya.

BASILDON: Hawes, Adelowo, Hewitt, Norton, D Smith, Turpin, Odukoya (sub Doyle, 74), Anderson (sub Okoh, 85), Vyse, Norman, K Smith (sub Okoye, 67). Unused suns: Elsom, Paxman.

Attendance: 322