| On the balance of play we were perhaps the better side but had to wait until the dying minutes to seal the win against a decent Bury side. |
 | Dom Knowles - scored the first goal |
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We began the game with a fairly strong side as all but one of our 2nd year scholars were available. Liam Newman was the one forced to miss the game as James Taylor lined up alongside Dom Knowles in attack. The absence of Steve Edwards in the middle of defence allowed another appearance for schoolboy Tom Anderson alongside Curtis Woods. The left hand side of our team was again our strong point as Jake McEneaney and Michael King, working well together, combined well to cause Bury problems.
The opening minutes presented both players with opportunities and McEneaney forced a good save from the keeper with a shot across goal when he had swept in following an elaborate move. Dave Lynch also had a shot from the edge of the box but it lacked sufficient power and the goalkeeper dropped on it gratefully.
It was the hosts though who took the lead and it was their first attack. The ball was laid out to the right wing and the cross into the middle found the onrushing forward who couldn't miss. We were shaky for a short spell after this and the goal scorer was unlucky not to add to his tally as he first had a lob tipped just wide by Danny McDonald, before having a goal disallowed as he stabbed home from the resulting corner.
We managed to regain our composure and again began to attack. On around the 20 minute mark the Bury keeper was very brave to thwart both Knowles and King with a block at his near post. We continued to probe but often found ourselves making the wrong decision in the final third. Bury meanwhile were limited for the remainder of the half with perhaps their best chance coming when the left winger drew a foul on the edge of the box, but the set piece was wasted as the ball was smashed high, wide and handsome.
Just before half time we managed to level things. There was no more than one minute left when the ball fell to Knowles on the edge of the box. He shifted it out from his feet and hammered it through a crowd and past the keeper. It gave a half time score with a much fairer reflection of the previous 45 minutes.
The 2nd half began with a bang and was no more than one minute old when we took the lead. The ball was fed to Oliver Devenney on the right wing and he swung in a beautiful cross for Taylor to throw his head at. The keeper got a hand to it but could do no more than divert it into the top corner of the net.
Following the goal we took our foot off the gas and slowly but surely Bury came back into it. From around about the hour mark they were very much the dominant team and had a number of good chances which had us rocking. Firstly they failed to capitalise on some sloppy defending as Ed Williams headed a ball across goal to their forward. The ensuing scramble ended as the Bury left winger clipped the ball just wide of the post. McDonald then made a good save to deny the Shakers forward. The resulting corner was swung in and hit the post before being cleared.
Terry Pashley tried to shake things up a bit and changed both Burnley forwards, as Joe Jackson and Sam McMahon replaced the front two. Unfortunately the next significant piece of action was a Bury equaliser. A hoof from the back brought McDonald rushing off his line calling for defender Woods to leave it. Woods was defiant, calling for McDonald to stay back. There was only ever going to be one result. Woods nodded the ball past the flailing keeper and as McEneaney chased back to try and clear the ball it bounced back off the post, taking him out of the game, and falling to the feet on the Bury sub, who fired home.
It looked like it may end all square as the game drew to a close but in the final minute we played a long ball forward. A Shakers centre half got under it and glanced a header upfield, playing Jackson onside and sending him clear. One on one with the keeper he kept his composure and slotted past the keeper to seal the three points for Burnley.
Team:- Danny McDonald, Ed Williams, Jake McEneaney, Tom Anderson, Curtis Woods, Oliver Devenney, Michael King, Dave Lynch, Joe McKee, James Taylor (Joe Jackson), Dom Knowles (Sam McMahon).Subs not used:- Christian Paulat-Brigg, Nathan Lawless |
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