Bury 2s still chasing that elusive first win of the season

Saturday saw the eagerly anticipated reunion of two defensive stalwarts of yesteryear. It had been over three seasons since these two had played in a competitive fixture side-by-side. The world of 2015 was very different to the one we now find ourselves in. You could still watch Harry Potter without tearing up at every Alan Rickman scene. You could talk about the European Union without risking the ending of a previously strong relationship. You could watch a world cup final without having to worry about England being outplayed, they never made it close to a final. You could even still play RuneScape (RIP)! Anyway, I digress. The purpose of this report is to tell the story of the game which saw two of the most heavily carded Bury players in history play together once more. I am, of course, talking about Will Tooke and Joel Tasker. Bury travelled to the Dragon’s Den still awaiting that elusive first win. Perhaps it was the hungover fragility of one of Bury’s centre backs, or the fact that he also turned up late (definitely not Joel Tasker…) but Bury again started poorly and found themselves 1-0 down. As has been the pattern this season, conceding one lead to conceding two and Bury went into half time 2-0 down, despite some brilliant work in midfield from Finn Milbank and James King creating chances Bury couldn’t quite prod home.
Chieftain Harpur and self-appointed player-coach Milbank Sr rallied the troops for the second half. Bury dominated the second half. Was it the words of the aforementioned management team or simply that Dragons weren’t deservedly 2-up and the beer-induced fog over Taskers mind had been alleviated somewhat? Who’s to say; but Bury spent the majority of the final 35 minutes camped in Dragon’s half. However, things are rarely simple with the 2s, and a rare counter-attack from Dragons left Tooke and Tasker in a 3-on-2 situation and Tookey dutifully delivered a trademark perfect tackle from a position in which he had no right to make a tackle. Unfortunately, in executing this tackle, he did upend the opposition forward and earn himself a seat in the sinbin. Bury survived with only 10-men thanks to great work from the midfield engine room of Hoover, King and Will Jolly. Despite being on top, Bury still had nothing to show for it. Step-up Thompson to light the touch paper. Weaving and dazzling through the Dragon’s players (much like Paul Whiting does) Thompson finds himself at the top of the D with the keeper bearing down on him. He throws the ball to his left and unleashes the most spectacular of accidental reverse hit lobs you could ever see. 2-1! The 2s had hope. They continued to press high and test a ragged Dragons defence. It wasn’t to be as the home side held on for the win.