Ronan Murray grabbed a late winner for a Town reserves side as they beat Bury Town 3-2 in the now annual pre-season friendly at Ram Meadow. The home side had gone ahead via skipper Tom Bullard before Jide Maduako and Caolan Lavery saw the Blues into the lead at half-time. After Bury had missed a penalty, Danny Cunningham brought them level with a superb freekick prior to Murray’s late deft flick over the keeper.
Jaime Peters, Luciano Civelli, Aaron Cresswell, Josh Carson, Luke Hyam and Ronan Murray were those with first team experience in the starting line-up, while Shane O’Connor was left out of the squad completely.
Sean McCarthy and Russell Osman, the Blues’ U18s coach, were in charge of the team from the dug-out with manager Paul Jewell, assistant Chris Hutchings, chief scout Steve McCall and former Bury and Town midfielder Simon Milton in the stand.
Ex-Blue James Scowcroft, who played for Bury last season and looks set to join them again for the campaign ahead, was also amongst the spectators.
Caolan Lavery headed a Ronan Murray cross from the right wide on seven with the Blues, in the old red away strip, taking the game to the home side from the off.
In stark contrast to last night’s first team match at Cambridge, chances were rare but Town went close in the 21st minute. Civelli sent in a deep cross from the left, Lavery knocked it back but Murray scuffed his shot wide.
Three minutes later the home side went in front with their first shot on goal. A ball in from the right found Tom Bullard in space behind the Blues backline. Callum Bennett’s desperate late lunge only succeeded in deflecting the Bury skipper’s shot beyond Cody Cropper and into the net.
The Blues were quickly back on terms. Civelli whipped over a 26th minute corner from the right and man mountain centre-half Jide Maduako powered a header beyond Bury keeper Marcus Garnham.
Murray shot just wide from distance on 33 with the young Blues having more of the ball but without being able to create too many chances against the Ryman League Premier Division side.
Two minutes later, a goalkeeping howler led to Town going in front. Murray appeared to have played the ball too far in front of Lavery, but the Northern Ireland U21 international was presented with a gift when Garnham dropped the ball at his feet.
Bury ended the half brightly but were unable to equalise despite Sam Reed trying an audacious backheel which struck Maduako.
With Blues boss Jewell by now propped against the dug-out, Bury captain Bullard forced Cropper to save with a stooping header from a corner early in the second half.
For Town, Hourihane hit a low piledriver from 25 yards which Garnham batted away, then the Bury keeper was off his line to prevent Lavery from getting on the end of a through ball. Then the Canada-born striker missed his kick as the ball fell to him inside the box.
Bury were handed a golden chance to get back on terms in the 57th minute when Luke Ingram was felled inside the area by Joe Whight. Lee Reed took the spotkick but Town’s US U20 keeper Cody Cropper did well to get down to his right and gather at the second attempt.
Just after the hour, Jamie Griffiths replaced the again too quiet Luciano Civelli on the left of midfield. The Bury-born youngster was making his first appearance since manager Paul Jewell took over as boss due to a stress fracture of the back.
Aaron Jones came on for Luke Hyam in the same switch and announced his arrival with a 20-yard strike just wide.
Bury got back on terms in the 80th minute when sub Danny Cunningham curled home a powerful, curling freekick from just outside the area.
With the game entering its final four minutes, Lavery played in Murray, who for once beat the offside trap before flicking the ball over Bury sub keeper Richard Robbins and into the net. Former Premier League referee Steve Tanner blew his whistle soon afterwards.
The young Blues just about deserved their victory against a more senior Bury side. The home side’s first half goal came against the run of play but the youngsters quickly got back into it again and then went in front.
As is often the case, the second half was scrappier with substitutions galore but the Blues probably created more of the chances and Murray took his opportunity when it came.
The downside from a Town perspective were hardly dominant displays from senior duo Luciano Civelli and Jaime Peters, who probably should have shown more against such comparatively lowly opposition.
The Blues are next in friendly action when the first team take on Southend at Roots Hall on Friday (KO 7.45pm), while the U18s play their traditional friendly at Southwold the same night (6.30pm).
Town XI: Cropper (O’Donnell 70), Bennett, Cresswell, Hyam (Jones 61), Maduako, Whight, Civelli (Griffiths 61), Carson (Hourihane 46), Murray, Lavery, Peters.
Bury Town: Garnham (Robbins 63), Hunter (L Smith 38), Coulson (Coakley 63), Kennedy (Ingram 46), Hitching (Cawley 46), Bullard (Hall 63), Nurse (Leabon 46), S Smith (Scurlock 46), S Reed (Clark 63), L Reed, Henderson (Cunningham 38).n. Referee: Steve Tanner (Suffolk). Att: 941.