LOWE ON A HIGH AS SHAKERS SHAPE UP
BURY boss Ryan Lowe saluted his team’s patience after they finally saw off 10-man Stevenage thanks to a scintillating second half.
The Shakers have scored 16 goals in their last four games in all competitions, and Lowe was delighted with another impressive attacking display.
He said: “It might not look like it now, but we knew this would be a tough game against Stevenage. We knew we’d find it tough to break them down, and that’s how it panned out.
“The sending-off helped us, though, undoubtedly. In the second half you saw that ruthlessness from us again.
“We knew that was coming. I even said that to the lads at half-time.
“We’ve got lots of players who are capable of creating chances, and it’s nice to see lots of different lads chipping in with the goals.
“We’ve been clinical and I can’t be any happier. “We’ve had to be patient, but we’re definitely doing the right things.”
Bury went close early on when Byron Moore was denied by a smart save from Seny Dieng. Stevenage replied with James Ball lashing an effort straight at Joe Murphy.
Callum Styles then poked an effort just past the post after he latched on to Adams’ through-ball.
The visitors were reduced to 10 shortly before the break when Kurtis Guthrie saw red for an ugly challenge on Bury defender Adam Thompson.
The hosts made a quick start to the second period, with Danny Mayor and Nicky Adams both testing Dieng in the early stages.
Finally Stevenage’s resistance was broken in the 63rd minute. Mayor touched the ball to Jay O’Shea, and he fired clinically past Dieng from 20 yards.
It was 2-0 soon after when Mayor fired in a rebound from 15 yards.
O’Shea made it 3-0 in the 78th minute, curling home a perfectly-executed free-kick from just outside the box. Sub Eoghan O’Connell crashed home a fourth from 25 yards as Bury were rampant late on.
Dejected Stevenage manager Dino Maamria aimed some of his frustration at referee Tom Neild.
“I was amazed by some of the decisions in the first half,” said Maamria. “Byron Moore clearly dived twice then Callum Styles’ two-footed challenge was a clear red card, then when he gave one to Kurtis, I thought, ‘Wow.’
“If he gave both a red, I’d probably get it, but to give one yellow and one red was unfair. When Kurtis challenged, their goalkeeper ran 50 yards and their centre-forward 40 – it was a scandalous reaction.
“I picked up a yellow card as I was really frustrated.
“But it was a difficult afternoon for us. The first goal killed us a bit and the others were from mistakes.”