Bury win Senior Cup

Senior Cup: Bury 4-2 Fleetwood Town

Report by Ryan Smart (UCLan)
Bury 4-2 Fleetwood Town
Senior Cup final
Wednesday 11th April
The County Ground, Lancashire FA HQ
Goalscorers: Garner (10), Adams (26, 74), Maguire (34, 76), Mooney (85)

 
A wonder strike from Chris Maguire was the pick of goals as Bury beat Fleetwood Town to lift the Lancashire Senior Cup for the third time in five years.

Ged Garner opened the scoring for Fleetwood on nine minutes, tapping home a George Glendon flick on from a corner.

Bury equalised through Joseph Adams’ deflected effort, before Maguire gave the Shakers the lead from the penalty spot on 43 minutes.

Adams extended the advantage on 78 minutes, rounding Fleetwood ‘keeper Chris Neal before forcing the ball home from next to the corner flag.

Maguire added his second two minutes later, a curling effort from outside the area giving Neal no chance.

Dan Mooney pulled one back for Fleetwood late on but it was Bury who lifted the cup.

The game started at a frantic pace with Fleetwood having the best of the early opportunities.

Good work from Wes Burns on eight minutes allowed him to square the ball across and Ged Garner’s deflected effort was well saved by Bury keeper Scott Moloney for a corner.

Fleetwood opened the scoring from the resultant corner, George Glendon’s flick on finding Garner again in a promising position before finishing into the bottom corner.

Bury responded well to going behind and began to press forward, Maguire seeing his header from the edge of the area saved by Neal on 15 minutes.

There was concern for both teams on 18 minutes when goal scorer Garner and Bury’s Saul Shotton were involved in a clash of heads in the area – Shotton was able to continue but Garner had to be replaced by Dan Mooney.

Fleetwood had a chance down the other end on 26 minutes, a slip from Bobby Copping giving Joao Morelli a chance to extend the lead, but the defender recovered well to put him off and the Brazilian shot wide. 

Bury were able to level the scores soon after, a deflected shot from outside the area by Adams finding its way into the bottom corner and leaving Neal helpless in the Fleetwood goal.

Both teams continued to press, Fleetwood having a well struck header from a corner saved by Moloney. 

Bury then won a penalty on 33 minutes, Maguire fouled on the edge of the box after a corner was initially cleared.

Bury’s number ten took the responsibility himself from the spot and calmly placed the ball in the bottom left corner to give the Shakers the lead. 

SECOND HALF

Fleetwood came out of the blocks quickly in the second half, Morelli picking the ball up before driving forward, his shot from the edge of the area under pressure fizzing wide of the left post.

The visitors had another good opportunity on 53 minutes, Burns’s well struck effort from about 30 yards out taking a few bobbles before it was excellently parred away by Moloney. 

Fleetwood were agonisingly close to an equaliser on 64 minutes, the ball in from the right finding Morelli whose first time shot off balance crashed against the upright and went over. 

Bury had a clear cut chance of their own just minutes later, a through ball finding Tsun Dai with the keeper to beat but his first time finish went narrowly wide.

Bury came inches away from extending their advantage on 77 minutes, Chris Sang finding himself in space inside the box before firing over.

They did score their third in spectacular fashion a minute later, Adams picking up a through ball from Tutte before rounding Neal and bending the ball in from near the corner flag for his second of the match. 

Maguire added his second on 80 minutes with a finish of the highest quality, picking the ball up from 30 yards out before curling one into the top right corner past Neal to make the scores 4-1. 

Fleetwood did not stop trying to get themselves back into the game, a Morelli effort from 30 yards going wide of the post.

They did get one back on 87 minutes, Dan Mooney placing the ball inside the post from inside the area.

Fleetwood’s number 44 almost added his second in injury time, curling one narrowly wide.

Bury: Moloney, Nyaupembe, Hatton, Tutte, Shotton, Copping, Dai (Sadler 82), Laurent, Sang, Maguire, Adams
Subs not used: Edwards-Williams, Hill, Seriki, Ondua

Fleetwood Town: Neal, Holgate, Oliver, Sheron, Maguire, Glendon, Biggins, Schwabl (Rydal 85), Morelli, Garner (Mooney 21), Burns
Subs not used: Crellin, Des Pres, Baines