Peterborough 1, Bury 2 EXPLOSIVE David Johnson will never forget the day his career hit its highest and lowest points so far within 30 highly-charged seconds.

The adrenalin soared as he unleashed a thunderous snapshot seven minutes from time to land Bury's third win on the bounce and second spot in the table.

But it all turned sour as first he saw red when the home crowd turned on him during his celebrations, then was shown red for retaliating by holding a running verbal battle with them despite repeated warnings from referee Steve Bennett.

"I gave him at least four warnings," said Mr Bennett, who dismissed Johnson following two cautions for ungentlemanly conduct over the same offence.

The Jamaican-born youngster's only 'crime' is the difficulty he is experiencing handling abuse and if commonsense had prevailed he would have stayed on the pitch, as both managers felt he should.

The greatest crime is that it should overshadow a magnificent goal which capped a gritty battling performance that provided rare frustration for one of the country's free-scoring sides.

True, Peterborough could have put the game out of Bury's reach in the first half. That they didn't wasn't so much down to poor finishing as the resolute Shakers' refusal to let them put the ball over the line.

Twice Nick Daws forced them to choke back their cheers as he hacked Simon Clark's close range effort off the line and nodded Ken Charlery's powerful header against the crossbar. And when Bury's outstanding player wasn't around, Dean Kiely was on hand to somehow scoop Scott Houghton's 22-yard shot up against the bar at full stretch.

Dean West continued the theme after the break when he cleared a thumping Mick Bodley header off the line as Peterborough kept up the pressure. And the full back believes Bury's resilience was behind their latest success and a major reason for their convincing start to the campaign.

"We are a good side defensively," he declared. "And while they put us under a lot of pressure, if we defend like we know we can we are always capable of scoring one ourselves and winning games."

The one they got to break the deadlock was as bizarre as the winner was quality. There was no danger when Lenny Johnrose launched the ball high and hopeful straight into Bart Griemink's arms seven minutes after the break. But when the blundering keeper spilled it, Rob Matthews was on hand to gratefully accept his first of the season with Bury's first serious chance of the afternoon.

Griemink redeemed himself when he matched Johnrose's quality far post header with a fine reflex save before United centre half Greg Heald brought a little sanity to the scoreline when he gave Kiely no chance with a crashing 65th minute header.

Mark Carter was unluckily adjudged to have fouled Heald as he brilliantly collected David Pugh's cross, turned and fired past Griemink all in one movement. But dismay turned to joy three minutes later as the veteran striker laid West's cross off for Johnson to have the last word.

It was a victory based on organisation and resolute defending rather than craft and guile going forward. And Peterborough's frustration spilled over when Shaun Farrell was shown red for elbowing Paul Butler in the face in the dying minutes and could have been multiplied if Griemink hadn't clawed a Daws shot around the post after a stirring 80-yard run.

Peterborough boss Barry Fry rued: "We should have had the game wrapped up by half time." While his Bury counterpart Stan Ternent saw it differently.

He said: "We fully deserved to win. We scored two excellent goals and a third that I don't know why it was chalked off and we were comfortable at the back - even when they were on top for 20 minutes."

BURY FORMGUIDE: Kiely 7, West 7, Pugh 7, DAWS 8, Lucketti 7, Jackson 7, Butler 7, Johnson 7, Carter 7, Matthews 6, Johnrose 7. Subs: Armstrong 6 (for Matthews 67 mins), Woodward (for Carter 83 mins) and Stant. Att:6,003.

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