Town: David Button, Joe Skarz, Graham Coughlan (c), Terry Dunfield (Jamie Cureton 64), Craig Disley, Kelvin Langmead, David Hibbert (Kris Bright 79), Steve Leslie, Lewis Neal (Jake Robinson 75), Shane Cansdell-Sherriff, Kevin McIntyre

Subs Dean Holden, Paul Murray, Chris Neal, Benjamin Van Den Broek

Bury: Wayne Brown, Paul Scott, Ben Futcher, Stephen Dawson (c) (Sam Hewson 79), Brian Barry-Murphy, Mike Jones, Ryan Lowe (Tom Elliot 90), Efe Sodje, Andy Morrell (Andy Bishop 76), David Worrall, Tom Newey

Subs: David Buchanan, Richie Baker, Danny Racchi, Cameron Belford,

Ref: A Woolmer
Assistants: P Dermott & R Clark
Fourth Official: P Graham

Attendance: 3720 (598)

Paul Simpson once again sticks with the same squad as Town go into this very important game against Bury.The bench though looks strong with new signing Jamie Cureton and Benjamin Van Den Broek joining fit again Dean Holden.

Bury had a prefect chance to grab the lead with less that 5 minutes on the clock.The home side had started well and were stroking the ball around the field to make Town work.They got the ball into the box and had a few good sights of goal until it dropped to Ryan Lowe who was unmarked in the Town box, but he totally scuffed his shot and Town had the chance to clear the danger.

The first player to go into the refs books was Terry Dunfield, the ball had dropped back to Mike Jones who waited for it to drop, the gave Dunfield the chance to get in a foot but he had too much on it and went through Jones and picked up a booking.

The best pressure was coming from Bury and they were causing a number of problems in the Town box. From a corner the ball wouldn't get clear and Town had their work cut out to keep out the danger, Futcher looped a header onto the bar and Langmead did well to throw his body into block another shot.

With 30 minutes on the clock Bury were still having the better of the attacking play but Town were working hard to get back into the game.The visitors were holding strong against the Bury play and where starting to look more of an attacking force as the half wore on.Saying that there had really been little to worry Brown in the Bury net as Hibbert battled hard against the twin defensive block of Futcher and Sodje.

Town were defending as a team from front to back, a free kick was whipped into the back post from Barry-Murphy to find the height of Futcher, he headed back across goal towards Sodje who was coming at the other post but Dunfield got back just in the nick of time to head behind.

Bury were getting closer to grabbing the lead but when they thought they would take the advantage another Town player got in snuff out the danger.Ryan Lowe found space down the right and had chance to run in on the Town goal, Button was rushing out to close the angle but Lowe flicked the ball over the Town keeper and it rolled in on goal, but Coughlan didn't give up and got back just in the nick of time to clear the ball off the line.

Half-time: 0-0

Bury tried start the second half at the same tempo as they had played the first.They were pushing and harrying Town by getting the ball into the opposition half quickly, but again Town were working hard and digging deep.

Town hadn't tested Wayne Brown's goal at all in the first half but with 5 minutes on the clock they had made the keeper work.First from a brace of corners that saw Coughlan's first header deflected and then his second go over the bar after close attention from Sodje.Then moments later Terry Dunfield tried his luck from 30 yards out and Brown had to be alert to get down and smoother the ball.

The Town defence had shown some heroic defending and pressuring in the first half and there was no let up on this in the second.A good Bury attack saw the ball moved quickly across the face of the Town box to find Mike Jones in space and pushing in on goal, but Coughlan was across quickly to dive in and put Jones off as he pulled the trigger and his shot flew over the bar.

Bury took the lead on 70 minutes but they needed the help of the ref to grab the advantage. The home side had created a decent attack that saw Dawson make a run in to the box, McIntyre came across to check the run and the two went shoulder to should with Dawson then going to ground, the ref had no hesitation in giving it much to the surprise of the Town players.Ryan Lowe placed the ball and then drove in a good spot kick to the opposite side of Button's dive to make it 1-0 to Bury.

Town were pushing looking to get back on level terms but this was allowing Bury to find space and attack.Dave Button was having another good game in the Town net and with just over 5 minutes of the game remaining Town had the thank their keeper for keeping them in it, pulling off a great finger tip save from Jones and then and brilliant stop after Bishop had found himself clean through on goal.

With the second ticking away Town were pushing and pushing for the equaliser and first Jake Robinson tested Brown, and then Langmead and Robinson combined well on the edge of the box to set-up Leslie, he burst into the box and drilled in a low shot to the near post but Brown was equal and got down to deny Town.

Full-time: 0-1