WE’RE ONLY LOOKING UP SAYS LOWE
BURY’S excellent run of form continued as they made it 11 matches unbeaten in all competitions with a hard-fought win away to Exeter.
The Shakers extended the gap over their hosts to nine points as they climbed up to second place, leaving Bury boss Ryan Lowe feeling delighted.
“There were two good football teams going head to head and we have managed to come out on top,” Lowe said.
“I am pleased for the lads. We got a clean sheet and defensively looked solid. They had a couple of chances, Joe Murphy pulled off a good save in the first half.
“From start to finish we were solid, we played some great football, got in between the lines but not as much as we would have liked.
“We kept going for the jugular. [We had] The belief and desire to win and not concede.
“It is just another game and we move on. We know the games are coming thick and fast and we know each game is important. We are looking up and not down.”
Exeter boss Matt Taylor felt his side did not have enough quality to their attack. “It was evenly balanced and I felt it was two very good teams going at each other. We almost cancelled each other out,” he said.
“We had some good field position without really threatening their goal enough and the Ryan Bowman header was an example of that. But we needed to do that more often.
“To then concede that sort of goal where we lose it in the middle of the park, think we can pinch it and leave our shape – even the finish was a ricochet – was a real kick in the teeth at that stage.
“We couldn’t quite get back in the game, or get the ball high enough up the pitch to get in areas to deliver.”
Bury went close in the 20th minute when Jay O’Shea’s dangerous cross was turned goalwards by Nicky Maynard, but his effort flew over the crossbar.
Exeter hit back with a prolonged spell of pressure, but the closest they came to a goal was when Ryan Bowman headed Lee Holmes’ cross goalwards, but he was denied by a Joe Murphy save.
Bury’s Scott Wharton then headed wide from eight yards on the stroke of half-time.
After 65 minutes the deadlock was broken as a low cross was bundled in from close range by Maynard. And he almost made it 2-0 after going through on goal, but Christy Pym stood up well to make the save and the away side frustrated Exeter by killing as much time as possible in the closing 20 minutes. The Grecians did have one chance to equalise near the end, but substitute Donovan Wilson dragged his shot wide from 20 yards. EXETER CITY: Pym 6, Sweeney 5, O’Shea 7, Moxey 6, Woodman 5 (D Wilson 80, 7), Taylor 7, Collins 6, Williams 6, Holmes 6 (K Wilson 74, 5), Law 6, Bowman 7. Subs not used: A Martin, Hamon, Jay, J Brown, Dean. BURY: Murphy 7, Aimson 7, Thompson 5, Wharton 5 (Stokes 45, 5), N Adams 6, Rossiter 7 (O’Connell 82, 5), Mayor 6, O’Shea 7, McFadzean 6, Moore 7, Maynard 8 (Telford 74, 5). Subs not used: Cooney, Danns, Lavery, Maloney.