Bury Town struck three times in the dying minutes to secure the most unlikely of 4-1 wins, over lowly Redbridge at Ram Meadow last night.

East Anglian Daily Times: Bury Town v Redbridge. Ryman Football League.Bury Town v Redbridge. Ryman Football League. (Image: Sarah Lucy brown)

The Blues did deserve to win, and so record their third straight victory following back-to-back 1-0 successes at Witham and at Great Wakering Rovers, but the score-line was harsh on the Motormen.

The visitors had taken the lead after just eight minutes, through Charlie Portway’s long-range lob.

But Ollie Hughes grabbed the equaliser in the 36th minute. Ollie Canfer headed goalwards, and Hughes got the vital touch from point-blank range.

Redbridge played the last 24 minutes with just 10 men, following Charlie Parish’s straight red, but the Londoners looked like they would hold out for a draw, with time running out.

However, front-runner Hughes was then bundled over in the box, with Josh Mayhew stepping up to hammer home the resultant penalty, as late as the 88th minute.

In the last minute of normal time, impressive substitute Nick Ingram found the back of the net with a clinical low shot into the bottom corner.

And in the first minute of stoppage time, Mayhew drilled home a terrific fourth, with his second goal of the game, to complete a thrilling finale.

Bury had actually started slowly and were soon trailing to Portway’s eighth minute opener, courtesy of an error of judgement by home ‘keeper Neil O’Sullivan.

East Anglian Daily Times: Bury Town v Redbridge. Ryman Football League.Bury Town v Redbridge. Ryman Football League. (Image: Sarah Lucy brown)

O’Sullivan found himself in no-man’s land, on the edge of his box, and he could only watch as Portway’s intelligent lob dropped into an unguarded net from 25 yards out.

For a while, Redbridge threatened to extend their lead, no doubt encouraged by the experiences of their previous game on Saturday, when they netted twice in injury-time to secure a 4-3 win at Wroxham.

O’Sullivan had to dive to his right to beat away Reside Coxi Sebastfao’s angled drive on 11 minutes, and the Blues ‘keeper was at full stretch again to palm away a ferocious 20-yarder from striker Ayomide Adeboxejo. It was a sloppy opening from Bury, but they came close to an equaliser on the quarter-hour mark. Remi Garrett’s slick cross was knocked-down into the danger zone by Ollie Canfer, but Hughes could not squeeze home inside the six-yard box.

The tide was beginning to turn and centre-half Phil Weavers headed narrowly wide from Darcy De’ath’s 26th minute free-kick.

Just before the half-hour mark, youngster Daniel Hamett teed-up Mayhew, the scorer of Bury’s winner at Witham a week ago, This time, Mayhew’s well-struck shot was blocked by Sargent, who recovered to mop up the loose ball.

However, Bury did equalise in the 36th minute, thanks to Hughes’ close-range finish.

It was an even start to the second period, before Redbridge midfielder Parish was sent off for a late lunge on Hammett, in the 66th minute.

But it was not easy trying to break down 10-man Redbridge. Livewire Hamett did swing over a teasing cross in the 79th minute, although substitute Ingram could not direct his header on target from six yards out.

Mayhew was then close to diverting home Ingram’s fine cross, and although Weavers’ header from the ensuing corner was blocked, the visitors ended up conceding a penalty for a foul on Hughes.

Up stepped Mayhew to ram home the penalty, to make it 2-1, and there was still time for Ingram and Mayhew to score at the death.