Bury 2, Bournemouth 5 FOUR-goal striker James Hayter walked out of Gigg Lane with a smile a mile wide and clutching the matchball after he single-handedly destroyed Bury, writes Steve Canavan.

He was helped though by some defending so farcical it wouldn't have looked out of place in a slapstick movie.

Central defenders Steve Redmond, Chris Swailes and Sam Collins, so impressive all season, had a collective off day as the frustrated crowd lost count of the number of mistakes they made.

Each defender was to blame for at least one goal as Bury lost their third match on the trot and slipped further away from the leading pack.

It's unsporting, but if only Hayter -- a 21-year-old forward with a big future -- had not recovered from a 12th minutes clash of heads with Nick Daws, things could have been very different.

By that time the visitors were already one up, Hayter squaring for Danish midfielder Claus Jorgensen to tap his seventh goal of the season into an empty net.

But just two minutes after the head clash the advantage was doubled, Hayter latching on to a miserable Steve Redmond back header and volleying past Kenny.

A goal before the break was vital if the Shakers were to have any chance but it never arrived, despite opportunities for Paul Barnes -- roundly booed by fans much to the disgust of boss Preece -- Jason Jarrett and the impressive Lee Unsworth, playing for the first time since an ankle ligament injury two months ago.

Preece must have given his team a verbal battering at the interval for they emerged looking like 11 Mike Tysons.

Steve Redmond powered home a header from a Paul Reid corner within two minutes of the restart and should have scored a copycat second moments later.

But that was the end of the fightback as the Shakers turned into Andrew Golotas instead. In an extraordinary five minute spell, Hayter scored three goals -- is it the quickest three goals by one player?

The first came after he showed great control and maturity to side-step Kenny and lash home from 12 yards after good work from his strike partner, skipper Steve Fletcher, who had pounced on a Chris Swailes slip.

Next Hayter -- beginning to get on the nerves of Bury fans by this time -- intercepted another awful backpass, this time by Sam Collins, and neatly lobbed Kenny.

And for those who didn't blink, Hayter scored his fourth and the visitor's fifth when he ran 20 yards past Paul Reid and beat the by now purple-faced Kenny with a low drive into the far corner.

Bury battled back and showed good spirit but the match was already lost.

Littlejohn, mysteriously left out, Bhutia and Lutel James came off the bench as the Shakers threw caution to the wind.

Daws struck a 20 yard free kick against the bar, Bhutia had a close range header pushed away by Stewart and the keeper somehow got in the way of Littlejohn's flick from a Sam Collins header.

Reward eventually came on 78 minutes when Preece slotted home a penalty after he had been pushed in the back by defender Carl Fletcher.

Bournemouth could have added to their tally as, with four attackers on the field, Bury left more room at the back than a Gary Barlow concert.

He said: ''We were comical in defence, though that's not the right word because it wasn't funny. I won't accept performances like that. Our defence was so poor.'

The boss has a race against time to right things for tomorrow's visit of Reading. BURY: Kenny 6, Daws 7, Collins 5, C Swailes 5, BILLY 8, Barnes 5, Reid 5, Preece 6, Jarrett 7, Unsworth 7. SUBS: Littlejohn (for Redmond 60), Bhutia (for Barnes 62), James (for Jarrett 77), Forrest, Barrick. Att: 2,892 Ref: Steve Baines 6