Bury 0 Reading 2

BURY player/boss Andy Preece faces the first crisis of his short managerial career today after the Shakers slid to a fourth consecutive defeat, writes Steve Canavan.

The football matched the weather -- miserable -- as the players struggled to bring the ball under control in the driving rain, and instead seemed content to fling aimless long balls forward.

But for the first half the Shakers more than matched their big spending opponents, though they did have a massive let off right on the stroke of half time, when centre half Chris Swailes struck his own post after a miscued clearance in front of goal.

After the break though it was a different story, as Reading ran riot, led superbly by strikers Jamie Cureton and Martin Butler.

The dynamic duo were superb, and notched a goal each in a five minute spell which killed off the Shakers' challenge.

In truth, they were the difference between the two teams. Bury have strikers in their squad, and of them the top scorer Adrian Littlejohn has a measly two from 15 matches!

For Reading meanwhile, Butler and Cureton have scored a total of 21 goals.

The former got the visitor's first last night on 54 minutes, beating Sam Collins to a low Cureton centre, and clipping the ball into the roof of the net from eight yards.

Five minutes on, and this time Butler, £750,000 signing from Cambridge, repaid the compliment to his strike partner. They could have had more, Cureton oozing brilliance and making chances for team-mates every time he got the ball.

Bury's best chance came and went in the first half, when the referee moved a free kick 10 yards forward into the Reading penalty area after dissent from the visitor's midfielder Lee Hodges. But instead of squaring the ball to a team-mate, big defender Sam Collins attempted to blast it straight through the wall and it ricocheted to safety.

Preece had called for his players to wipe out the memory of Saturday's 5-2 home hammering at the hands of Bournemouth, but this damp squib of a display did little to improve his mood.

The only positives were the reaction of the crowd -- who heeded Preece's pre-match appeal to get behind the players instead of criticising them -- and the fact that the Shakers were up against genuinely class opposition in Reading.

It should not be forgotten that the Royals are bankrolled by a multi-millionaire, who gives Manager Alan Pardew whatever he wants, while Andy Preece has to beg for a 10p mix-up, so perhaps this result shouldn't be surprising.

However, there was a worrying lack of cutting edge all over the pitch, and -- with 12 goals conceded and just two scored in the last four matches -- it is something that Preece will have to put right before the visit to Wigan's JJB Stadium on Saturday. BURY: Kenny 7, Barrick 6, Daws 6, Collins 6, Swailes 6, Billy 7, Littlejohn 5, Reid 6, Redmond 6, Preece 6, Unsworth 8.

Subs -- Bhutia (for Barrick 69), James (for Littlejohn 75), Jarrett, Barnes, Forrest.

Attendance: 2,808 Ref -- David Laws (Whitley Bay) 8.