Boro’s difficult run continued despite a battling and plucky showing against the league leaders in a blustery Bury St Edmunds.
The day’s weather started relatively calmly, but a tree on the line at Stowmarket and signalling problems meant Boro’s fans had to fight just to reach the Suffolk market town. But reach it they did and were paid back with a gutsy performance from which Boro were unlucky not to take a point.
No sooner had fans arrived to admire the excellent surface at Ram Meadow, Boro were behind – Cemal Ramadan capitalising on a sleepy Boro defence to send the ball past Jack West-Astuti and give Bury the lead inside a minute. Pessimists might have feared the worst, and for the first 15 minutes it looked like that was a prudent approach as Boro were bombarded – first a brilliant block on the line, then two good saves from West-Astuti kept the score 1-0.
But that pessimism was slowly drowned out amongst visiting fans as Boro started to compete. Derek Asamoah was getting good value off the shoulder of his marker and he stole through more than once – on 19 minutes an attempted chip was anticipated by the keeper. Further good work down both flanks continued, and Tosin Olufemi – flourishing in a recently established right wing role – might have gone down under a challenge in the box on 28 minutes.
Then on 33 minutes a reminder of the danger – more sloppy play at the back and a Bury attacker had a golden chance to double the lead but the ball was skied out of the ground from well inside the box.
Still, Boro kept coming: Manny Yeboah forcing a rushed parry by the goalkeeper; a resultant flurry of corners and free kicks in the lead up to half time only interrupted by another good save by West-Astuti in the Boro goal. But 1-0 it remained at the break.
Boro were almost punished in the second half as they were in the first – a brilliant double save from Jack just after the restart justifying his new song – the result of a hastily convened workshop behind the Bury goal. The promised wind had started to blow at this stage, and a nasty squall enveloped Ram Meadow for much of the second half.
It wasn’t just in the Boro goal that good keeping was on show – Charlie Beckwith, who might admit he didn’t have the greatest game in the reverse fixture, was in much better form here as he saved an Aresti piledriver. Then he followed up with an even better save from an unlikely source: a corner was half cleared and fell to Scott Mitchell who, having shook off the nosebleed of being in open play in the final third, directed an absolute rocket at the top corner – so unlucky.
Inspired by Scott’s foray into no man’s land, West-Astuti was then caught having come rushing out and had no option but to bring down the attacker, for which he was booked. He made up for it shortly after with another excellent save as the game entered a fairly even period, culminating in Yeboah’s withdrawal for the returning Joe Waight. His influence on the forward play was quickly clear, but it was Matt Young whose impact was most felt next. Taking the ball on the left side, he took on the defender and was brought down just inside the box for an undisputed penalty. Young stepped up himself and slid the ball past Beckwith to make it 1-1 after 67 minutes. Boro were deservedly on terms.
Aresti, who had caused problems in the middle, was replaced by Jorge Djassi-Sambu after 72 minutes… But the lead lasted just 3 minutes longer. Bury had been pressing and a shot was blocked to the edge of the area where sub Ollie Camfer – who had come on at the same time – steered the ball past everyone into the Boro net.
Boro might have lost hope at that, especially as Storm Bert really started to rage, but the intent was still there as Demmy Nicolaou and Stephane Mgbada were introduced. Caleb Dennis cut inside on 85 minutes and forced an excellent save again.
The referee – perhaps exercised by the weather, and who could blame him – indicated just 2 added minutes and Boro’s chance seemed to have gone. But no – a last twist in the tail would present itself as Mgbada cut inside and sent a swirling, curling effort towards the far post where it hit the inside of the upright and cruelly span back out. And there was Asamoah, just yards out to meet it – but the combination of that spin, the weather and perhaps a little surprise meant the ball skidded off Del’s despairing diving header for a goal kick met by a palpable sense of relief.
And that was your lot – a good old-fashioned game of football in terrible conditions. Boro have lost by the odd goal to the current pacesetters twice in 12 days, having given a good account across all 180 minutes. But points not performances are surely the aim now…
Boro: West-Astuti, Addo Kufour, Dennis, Taiwo-Pratt, Mitchell, Stirling, Olufemi (C) (Mgbada 77), Aresti (Sambu 72), Asamoah, Young (Nicolaou 85), Yeboah (Waight 64)
Sub not used: Boxer
2nd December 2024
