Bury 1, Peterborough 0 THE party hasn't yet begun but you can start sending out the invitations.

Brilliant Bury are on the brink of the big time - and the only team which can stop them achieving mission impossible is themselves.

One win might be enough, two certainly will and skipper Chris Lucketti believes the glory will be theirs if they can keep their nerve.

"We can see the finishing line and some of the lads are getting a bit anxious," he admitted after a predictable result achieved in the most nerve-wracking fashion.

"There is a big onus on us to score at home and if we don't get one early it's easy to lose your composure.

"But there are a lot of winners in this Bury side. Everybody knows their job and nobody wants to lose."

They must have forgotton what it's like to lose at fortress Gigg Lane after Britain's best and only unbeaten home league record was extended to 17 wins and five draws in an unforgettable season which is heading for a memorable last day at home to Millwall in a fortnight.

David Johnson's ninth goal of the season on the hour justified his return to the side and manager Stan Ternent's return to the two-man midfield, three-man strikeforce.

The comeback kid broke the deadlock - and relegation haunted Peterborough's brave hearts - with a crashing volley through a crowded goalmouth after keeper Bart Griemink only managed to half clear a Dean West corner.

"I usually just lash at the ball in front of goal but fortunately I managed to keep this one down," recalled Johnson who diverted the credit for a hard-earned victory to a rock solid defence which has conceded just seven league goals at home all season.

"It's like having a brick wall behind you," he enthused, adding: "That was the hardest game we've had at home all season because they are fighting for their lives and threw everything at us. But if you can win when the chips are down it's a sign of success."

After a lacklustre first half, Bury sparked into life and served notice of their intent when Gordon Armstrong planted a header against the crossbar from another Dean West corner four minutes after the restart.

But in a game of few chances it came down to desire and determination, match-winning qualities epitomised by Lenny Johnrose's full-blooded display.

The midfield warrior relished the extra workload lumped on his and fellow unsung hero Nick Daws' shoulders by the loss of a third man in the engine room, throwing himself into tackles and at Peterborough shots and almost capping a magnificent show with a goal when Griemink acrobatically beat out his half volley from Johnson's cross 60 seconds after the opener.

Johnrose's brilliant block and clearance denied Simon Clark an equaliser while Ian Hughes, who was equally at home in defence as he was in midfield four days earlier, also rescued his side when he hacked Roger Willis' precision strike off the line after just 15 minutes.

Kiely 7, West 8, Armstrong 8, Daws 8, Lucketti 8, Butler 8, Hughes 8, Johnson 7, Jepson 7, JOHNROSE 9, Battersby 7. Subs: Scott 7 (for Johnson 62 mins), Carter (for Battersby 78 mins) and Randall. Attendance: 4,631.

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