SHAKERS LATE SURGE STUNS MACC
BURY boss Ryan Lowe saluted his team’s character after they saw off Macclesfield to keep their automatic promotion bid firmly on track.
The Shakers missed out on a Wembley trip in midweek when they lost their Checkatrade Trophy semi-final against Portsmouth, but they bounced back superbly against the Silkmen.
Lowe said: “This was a tough game for us after the disappointment of Tuesday.
“That was on some of the players’ minds undoubtedly, but in the end we’ve turned in a professional performance.
“A lot of people will have expected us to win maybe four, five, six or even seven-nil, but most importantly it was about the three points.
“The lads had to be patient because Macclesfield were tough opponents despite their position in the table.
“We didn’t just look to get the ball forward as quickly as possible, we played the game in the right way and I have to be happy with that.
“If we keep playing our football in that way, and doing the right things, we’ll achieve our aim, but there’s still lots of games remaining.”
Macclesfield boss Sol Campbell appears to know he is facing an uphill battle to save his side from the dreaded drop.
The former England World Cup star said: “It was always going to be a difficult task.
“Bury have a settled side and they’re solid and strong.
“They’ve got lots of energy, too, so they put you under plenty of pressure.
“I’m disappointed with the end result. To fold late in the second half and lose three-nil has been frustrating.
“It was another classic situation of when you’re up at the top you seem to get the rub of the green, but for teams like us some situations just don’t seem to go for us.”
Nicky Maynard fizzed an early shot over the top from 35 yards for Bury, while Macc responded with Michael Rose going close.
The breakthrough came from Bury in the 24th minute.
Caolan Lavery’s shot was blocked by Fiacre Kelleher, but Maynard was on hand to smash the rebound high into the roof of the net.
Danny Mayor ought to have double’ lead, but he blazed over from 12 yards.
Maynard went close again three minutes after the restart when he was denied by a point-blank stop from ‘keeper Kieran O’Hara.
The crucial second goal came from the penalty spot in the 75th minute. Rose was adjudged to have handled Mayor’s shot on the turn towards goal, leaving Jay O’Shea to step up to make it 2-0 from the spot. Bury made it three with the last action of the game as Scott Wharton nodded home Nicky Adams’ out-swinging corner-kick.
BURY: Murphy 7, Thompson 6, O’Connell 6, Wharton 8, N Adams 7, Mayor 7 (Danns 87, 5), Rossiter 6, O’Shea 8, McFadzean 6, Lavery 6 (Moore 80, 5), Maynard 7 (Telford 68, 6). Subs not used: Stokes, Cooney, Omotayo, Maloney. MACCLESFIELD TOWN: O’Hara 6, Welch-Hayes 5, Kelleher 5, Cameron 6, Fitzpatrick 6, Arthur 5 (Martis 80, 5), Maycock 5 (Stephens 87, 5), Rose 6, Cole 6, Smith 7, Wilson 7 (Biabi 83, 5). Subs not used: Durrell, Evans, Idem, Demetriou.