Luton 0, Bury 0 A BARRAGE of jeers greeted the final whistle at Kenilworth Road last night. But the 'booze' will be of a champagne variety if Bury collect just a single point from their final two games.

The toast at Luton last night was all 13 of Stan Ternent's battling brigade and if David Johnson had converted the best chance of a match of few opportunities then the corks would have been popping all the way back up the motorway.

Brentford's defeat at Blackpool was a part of the promotion scenario which went right. Stockport beating York wasn't quite in the plan, but the Shakers did what they had to do and surely only a disastrous set of results can deprive them of Division One status.

Luton had to win, a point was the least the valiant visitors would have hoped for, whose display at the home of one of their closest rivals was akin to a promotion-winning side.

Frustration got the better of the disgruntled Luton fans, but their voices of disapproval were met with a 'We're going up" arm signal as Ternent left the field a contented manager.

"It was a good professional performance," the Gigg Lane chief declared after the game. "Luton had to beat us and they couldn't do it and we even missed the best chance of the game."

The Bury boss sprang a surprise by opting for Nicky Reid in place of Saturday's match-winner David Johnson in a five-man back line and it was an even bigger shock when a 21st minute reshuffle saw the pair swap places.

But it was in defence where the real heroes plied their frugal trade. Skipper Chris Lucketti was a rock at the heart of the most stubborn of rearguards, while goalkeeper Dean Kiely produced a faultless display between the sticks.

Reacted quickest Kiely made a couple of important first half stops from Julian James and Ceri Hughes, while his catching of crosses was an example Liverpool's David James would do well to witness.

The former York man saved his best until the 64th minute when blocking Tony Thorpe's point-blank header after the top scorer reacted quickest to a right-wing cross.

The departure of a mystified Reid certainly gave the Hatters far more to think about as substitute Johnson was keen to test the pace of the Luton back four with a series of surging runs.

Ronnie Jepson overcame an early niggle in the back to almost snatch the lead following Nick Daws' astute 48th minute pass, but after getting the better of goalkeeper Ian Feuer the ball escaped the striker's control much to the disappointment of the 700 Bury fans baying for Jepson to notch his llth of the term.

Six minutes later, Tony Battersby shrugged off a defender down the right and, when he pulled the ball back, Johnson, under pressure from James, could only slice the bail over the top from 12 yards.

Johnson, Battersby, Dean West and Paul Butler all received yellow cards, the latter trio all for incidents involving dangerous winger Andy Kiwomya.

But even under some late Luton pressure, the visitors retained their composure although concerted penalty appeals in stoppage time when Thorpe fell to the ground must have left a few with hearts in their mouths.

Referee Mr D'Urso rightly waved the appeals aside and Kiely was left with another clean sheet in his locker and Bury just one stop away from their promotion dream.

Form guide:KIELY 9, West 7, Armstrong 7, Daws 7, Lucketti 8, Butler 8, Hughes 8, Reid 7 (Johnson 21) 8, Jepson 7, Johnrose 7, Battersby 7 (Carter 83). Subs (not used) Randall.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.