DANNY’S DOUBLE SENDS BURY TOP
Nardiello sees off Brewers
BURY had to use all their fighting qualities to overcome a stubborn Burton Albion to move top of the table and boss David Flitcroft is confident that his side are only just getting started despite now sitting top of the pile.
Danny Nardiello came off the bench to score either side of a Ryan Lowe strike, Jacob Blyth grabbing a consolation for Burton.
And Flitcroft is excited about the project which is building at Gigg Lane.
“Against Burton with them parking the bus and dropping so deep with a low block, you’re going to have a wrestle,” Flitcroft said.
“You’re going to have a situation where you’ve got to wrestle that tempo and I think we did in the first half. We sighted them and they sighted us. Only one team wanted to win that game in that first half.
“Having Nardiello on there in the second half, he loves working in tight spaces and he can create goals for himself.
“People keep talking about winning and Bury winning but I enjoy the football. I enjoy building a product and enjoy the lads being in receipt of it.
“I enjoy the performance and I was taught well. If you can keep control and keep focusing on the performance the wins will come. If you defend and attack like we do, the wins will come because you’re doing everything by the letter of the law from a coaching point of view.”
Bury started on the front foot and went close to opening the scoring after six minutes when Pablo Mills met Nicky Adams’ floated cross but his header went narrowly over the bar.
Robbie Weir tested Bury keeper and former Burton loanee Rob Lainton from long range while, at the other end, Tom Soares was unable to divert a Danny Rose shot goalwards.
The home side were dominating possession and on the stroke of half-time Soares played in Craig Jones but the full-back fired his angled shot wide.
Flitcroft introduce Nardiello at half-time and he made an immediate impact. Danny Mayor’s fed the former Manchester United trainee who fired a first-time shot through the legs of Jon McLaughlin.
Bury doubled the lead on 57 minutes after confusion in the Burton box. Adams and Robbie Weir contested for a 50/50 ball and the ball fell to Lowe who finished past McLaughlin.
Burton had the chance to half the deficit soon after but Stuart Beavon was unable to direct his header on target from Blyth’s cross.
Nardiello then made sure of the points when he capitalised on an overhit back pass from Shane Cansdell-Sherriff to tap the ball into an empty net.
Blyth grabbed a consolation for Burton with two minutes left when he headed in Beavon’s cross.
“They were two very, very poor goals to concede at any level really,” said Burton boss Gary Rowett. “It made the game go away from us at that point and for the last 20 or 25 minutes we rallied quite well and chased the game OK to get a good goal through Jacob Blyth but it was too little, too late.
“We came with a game plan that I felt went well in the first half – we got into some good positions and limited them to relatively few chances.
“I felt as though for the last five minutes of the first half we allowed them to get in and around the box too easily and we spoke about it at half-time.
“I’ve said we’ve took the plaudits over the last 18 months about the way we’ve defended and I feel the last two games we’ve come away from that.
“I’ve said to them that I’m not happy with that, we’ve got to take that on the chin.
“When we take the credit we’ve also got to react to stuff like that and do something about it if the defensive side of a game isn’t good enough.”