Felixstowe & Walton United inflict a second straight Pitching In Isthmian League North Division (One) defeat on Bury Town with a clinical 3-1 victory at the Atalian Servest Ram Meadow Stadium.
Bury made one change from Saturday's defeat at Aveley, as Will Gardner replaced Samson Bello, whilst the Seasiders made two alterations to Saturday's home loss to Grays Athletic, with Curtley Williams and Tommy Smith being replaced by Keiran Twinn and Ipswich Town loanee Jesse Nwabueze.
It was 12th v 9th going into the Suffolk Derby, with the result moving the Seasiders up a place to 8th - moving within 4 points of 5th placed Dereham Town, in the final playoff spot with 2 games in hand on them, whilst Bury now sit eight points back on their Suffolk rivals.
A crowd of 607 amassed for the rearranged Suffolk Derby, which is the first of two in seven days between the two sides at the same venue, and bared witness to a lesson in finishing from the Seasiders, in what was the visitors' first Ram Meadow victory (0-2) since Saturday 1st February 1998 (in the Eastern Counties League), and first over Bury overall since Saturday August 11th 2018 (1-3 in the two side's first Isthmian League North Division meeting at Felixstowe's Goldstar Ground).
Bury though arguably were dominant throughout the first half, but never really tested goalkeeper Callum Robinson much throughout, with the Blues threading a man through on the left-hand byline as early as the second minute, whose cutback fell to Ryan Horne racing onto it just outside the box, but his first time shot was well blocked. Bury then won a corner, from which Joe White at the back post saw a dangerous header from a yard out deflected behind for another set-piece.
Bury meanwhile looked to set Olly Hughes through on goal with a long ball over the top, a minute later, but goalkeeper Callum Robinson was alert off his line to punch it away well.
Chances continued to go begging for Bury, as Max Maughn was fed free down the right-hand side in the box, who took a touch before shooting agonisingly just wide of the bottom far corner in the ninth minute.
Joe White then leapt highest to head on-loan Ipswich Town loanee Ross Crane's left-wing corner, only for his header low towards the far corner to be well held by the diving Callum Robinson.
At the other end meanwhile, Felixstowe had a good chance of their own on 24 minutes, but after fellow Ipswich Town loanee Jesse Nwabueze had cut inside dangerously towards the penalty area the latter's strike went out for a throw-in.
Clear cut chances were at a premium throughout the evening, but Bury created arguably the best chance of the encounter to that point on the half-hour mark.
Olly Hughes raced through towards the penalty area, down the right wing, where he fed Ross Crane who in turn laid it off to Cemal Ramadan, in space from 18-yards out, but the latter's low shot was straight at Callum Robinson.
Ryan Horne, three minutes later, latched onto a free-kick on the right-hand edge of the box, but the Blues' midfielder saw his strike well smothered by Seasiders captain Jordan Matthews.
Bury kept creating pressure on 38 minutes, as Max Maughn exploited space to lift a clever shot over the defence, squeezing goal-wards, although it was straight at Robinson to routinely collect.
Bury though arguably should have broken the deadlock a minute later, Olly Hughes raced through to latch onto a through-ball, one on one with Robinson, but saw his low shot towards the bottom left hand corner blocked behind for a corner by the onrushing goalkeeper.
And in the following minute, Bury had another good chance to break the deadlock, as a left wing cross fell to Ramadan free at the back post, whose skillful control of the ball enabled him to get a clear shot at goal, but the strike was tame and comfortable for Robinson down to his bottom near corner.
And just as the encounter was entering stoppage time, Felixstowe struck against the run of play, as Billy Holland struck his fifth Felixstowe goal of the season. Stuart Ainsley's left wing corner fell to him just inside the six yard box to lash home on the half volley into the top near corner, 1-0 Seasiders.
But Bury did have a great opportunity to equalise three minutes into stoppage time, a long throw fell to Ross Crane on the edge of the box, although his volley went just wide of the bottom corner, in what was the last chance before the break.
Into the second half, a trio of second half chances in in a three minute spell soon saw Felixstowe pretty much out of sight. First, Stuart Ainsley curled a dangerous free-kick just over the top right hand corner on 55 minutes, while Kieran Twinn picked up his maiden Seasiders goal in style a minute later.
Sam Nunn was first to Ben Mayhew's goal-kick, heading it onto Twinn in space from 30+ yards , that caught out Mayhew, dipping into the bottom left-hand corner, 0-2 Seasiders.
Ben Mayhew then got down well to his right-hand side to deny Twinn again on 58 minutes, as a result of which he caught the goalscorer on the follow through, with the referee duly pointing to the penalty spot.
Up stepped Joe Whight, who smashed home his 3rd goal of the campaign past Mayhew into the bottom right-hand corner, 0-3 Felixstowe.
Jesse Nwabueze though almost added to his side's advantage on 62 minutes, the winger raced at least 60 metres down the left wing past Bello where he then cut inside into the near side inside the area, but his low shot ricoshaded off the diving Mayhew's legs before being cleared.
Eleven minutes later, the Seasiders looked to inflict further pain on their hosts. Goalkeeper Robinson's goal-kick threaded Nwabueze through down the left-hand side, but he could only shoot over the crossbar.
Charlie Warren, who recently signed permanently from Needham Market (having previously been on loan from the Marketmen), meanwhile got through at an awkward angle down the left-hand side in the box only to see his low strike cannon back into play off the inside of the bottom far corner on 74 minutes.
Bury however did reduce the deficit on 83 minutes, Ross Crane's audacious right wing free-kick into the box found Will Gardner - brought back from dual-registration at Newmarket Town - just inside the six yard box to direct a bullet header home into the bottom right-hand corner, for his second goal of the season for the Blues, 1-3.
And a strong save from Robinson thwarted Crane from further decreasing the deficit a minute into four added minutes. The Ipswich Town loanee, who signed for Ipswich from Bury originally, was found free down the right hand side before weaving his way into the penalty area, where his low shot was smothered back into play well by the diving stopper.
Bury will look to respond to the defeat when Maldon & Tiptree visit on Saturday in their second of three consecutive home matches, ahead of a rematch with Felixstowe in the Suffolk Premier Cup 2nd round next Tuesday. The Seasiders meanwhile, travel Tilbury sandwiched between these two Bury trips.
Bury Town:-
1 Ben Mayhew
2 Will Gardner
3 Ryan Stafford
4 Olly Snaith (70' Haddoch)
5 Olly Fenn (c)
6 Joe White
7 Max Maughn (59' Bello)
8 Ryan Horne
9 Olly Hughes
10 Cemal Ramadan (80' Gilchrist)
11 Ross Crane
Subs:
12 Ben Haddoch
14 Carlos Edwards
15 Samson Bello
16 Dan Gilchrist
Felixstowe:-
1 Callum Robinson
2 Kyle Jopling (36' Warren)
3 Stuart Ainsley
4 Billy Holland
5 Joe Whight
6 Sam Nunn
7 Jesse Nwabueze (89' Williams)
8 Jordan Matthews (c)
9 Ollie Cancer (90'+4' Smith)
10 Noel Aitkens
11 Kieran Twinn
Subs:
12 Stuart Boardley
14 Curtley Williams
15 Charlie Warren
16 Tommy Smith
17 Darius Petrea
Booked: Fenn (20'), Nunn (21'), Jopling (27'), Stafford (60'), Crane (69'), Horne (77'), Holland (84').
Goals: Gardner (83'); Holland (45'), Twinn (56'), Whight (58'pen).
Att: 607.
