Kidderminster 3 Bury 2 by Phil Thorp

MORE performances like this and Bury's hopes of a quick return to Division Two will be a thing of the past.

Three goals behind just after an hour, the Shakers only woke up for the final 20 minutes when they grabbed a couple of their own and almost went home with an unlikely point.

And manager Andy Preece was far from happy.

"There are no excuses for that kind of display," he said. "It was unacceptable to be outbattled for most of the game. Some of our players are going to have to take a long, hard look at themselves and realise their places in the team are not safe.

"We showed what we can do in the later stages. If we can finish as strongly as we did after playing extra time in midweek then we can't have been giving our all."

Not even the introduction of 'prodigal son' Colin Cramb could spark the Shakers into life and the Scottish striker looked a game or two short of match fitness. That said he still managed to get in three efforts on goal in the first ten minutes before Kiddersminster took control and went into a 3-0 lead with two from Bishop following an opener by Parrish. The introduction of striker Ian Lawson for midfielder Terry Dunfield then handed Bury a lifeline as the sub fired home from close range after a Cramb free-kick. Minutes later the Scotsman forced a magnificent save out of Stuart Brock with a powerful drive heading for the top corner.

Two minutes from time a Steve Redmond free kick at the edge of the Kidderminster box yielded a second for Bury and with seconds remaining Cramb could have made it a dream debut when he got on the end of a knockdown by Danny Swailes but only succeeded in firing high and wide.

Bury: Garner 6, Stuart 6, Swailes 6, Unsworth 6, Billy 5, Clegg 5 (O'Shaughnessy, 54, 6), Redmond 6, Cramb 6, Dunfield 6 (Lawson, 76, 7), Woodthorpe 5 (Nugent, 54, 6), Newby 6. Subs not used: Preece and Nelson.

Referee: Mike Thorpe.

Attendance: 2,736.