PLUCKY Heybridge Swifts snatched a late point at high-flying Bury Town but the 1-1 draw at Ram Meadow was enough to see the Suffolk side climb to the top of the Pitching In Isthmian League division north, writes JON LONGMAN.
Prolific scorer Cemal Ramadan converted a delightful through ball from Dylan Williams after only nine minutes, but they were denied a second by determined Heybridge defending.
Swifts striker Andy Fennell had half a chance to put the visitors ahead three minutes earlier, but his effort bounced to safety off Bury keeper Charlie Beckwith’s shin.
Bury spurned their chances to go three points clear at the top with tenth-placed Heybridge’s equaliser coming six minutes from the end of normal time with Connor Hogan, the recent signing from Brentwood Town, scoring after a free-kick caused mayhem in the Bury box.
Swifts manager Julian Dicks said: “We weren’t in the game in the first half and we showed them too much respect.
“Bury are a good side and they are up there for a reason, but we had a chat at half-time and changed the shape around in the second half to match them.
“But I keep saying to the boys that players win games and not shapes or formations.
“And for me, the boys won the headers, second balls and tackles. They anticipated the game a lot better and got forward. We supported better and that made a massive difference.
“The next game on Saturday is a week away and our performances are as different as chalk and cheese.
“We have to perform as we did the second half for 90 minutes and that is what you expect from your players.
“I said to them you don’t a result like this by luck. If we had played as we did in the first half in the second half, we would have got battered.
“We had a couple of good chances at the start of the second half and could have gone 2-1 up [Kojo Apenteng], but Bury also had a couple of good chances that needed good saves from Alan [Fleischer]. So, overall, it’s a good result.”
Next up for the Swifts is a league game at home to Redbridge (3pm) and last Tuesday’s abandoned game at Witham Town has been re-arranged for March 18 (7.45pm).
The Swifts reacted to the Witham player's horribly dislocated ankle injury that saw the game called off two minutes before the interval with a statement that said: “The match has been abandoned because of a serious injury. We wish the player involved all the best with his recovery.”
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