FORGOTTON man Phil Stant's days may be numbered at Gigg Lane - but fans will toast the crucial part he played in pulling the last gasp two points out of the bag on Saturday should the double promotion dream be realised next May.

The veteran striker blasted a reminder of his match-winning qualities with an astute nod back for fellow substitute Gordon Armstrong to break the stalemate and sink the Seasiders in the dying seconds.

It was the one serious effort on goal either side produced in a defence-dominated tactical battle. But the cruelly deflected shot - in keeping with an afternoon of attacking frailties - was enough to leave the Shakers savouring double derby delight as they looked down from the heady heights of third spot.

It wasn't pretty as Bury never got out of first gear. But, equally important, they never allowed Blackpool to get into their stride to ensure that a point always looked to be the worst they would get out of an off-key day.

And Stant summed up the confidence in the Gigg Lane camp as he insisted: "I never thought for a minute that we wouldn't score.

"There was such a lull in the game I always thought something was going to happen and I fancied us to nick one even though we were so lethargic for some reason.

"When Ronnie Jepson produced a great cross I could hear Gordon come running in screaming for it and I just nodded it back and he produced a quality finish."

It was scarcely the type of vintage Shakers which saw off Burnley in midweek but there's no such thing as a bad win - especially against a side which missed promotion by a whisker last season and are hotly tipped to go one better this time around.

While the attack struggled to gel, there was enough to savour in the defence and midfield departments - just ask Seasiders boss Gary Megson.

"You can only play as well as you're allowed and it's difficult against Bury because they are so direct," he said.

"We couldn't pass the ball because of the way they play and it looked for all the world a nil-nil. But we showed naivety on the edge of our box when nobody seemed to be picking up players and the next thing we know the ball is in the back of the net."

A major factor behind Blackpool's frustrations were Bury's midfield dynamic duo Lenny Johnrose and Nick Daws who close down opponents and throw themselves into tackles as if their lives depend upon it.

Certainly, Bury's lofty position owes much to the stamina-sapping workaholism of the unselfish, battle-hungry pair.

Equally resolute were the back three in which Andy Woodward again never put a foot wrong, justifying his inclusion ahead of the fit-again Paul Butler and shining alongside the typically polished Chris Lucketti and Michael Jackson.

They restricted Blackpool to just two speculative shots on goal in Micky Mellon's 25-yard first half volley straight at Dean Kiely and Andy Preece's thunderous late effort from the same distance which whistled just over the bar.

Bury's goal threat was equally blunt with Lucketti lifting their first chance just over from 12 yards seven minutes after the break, Jackson unable to force the ball through a ruck of legs three yards out and Johnrose denied by a crucial Andy Barlow clearance as he homed in on a killer Stant cross.

Ternent said: "Something like 16 competitive matches plus another five or six pre-season games in such a short time takes its toll and it showed a bit.

"We stuck at it and got the goal at the end. But we're better than that. However, it's put us third and if our position doesn't get any worse than that between now and May, I'll settle for that." Kiely 6, West 7, Pugh 7, Daws 7, Lucketti 7, Jackson 7, WOODWARD 8, Johnson 6, Jepson 6, Johnrose 7, Matthews 6. Subs: Stant 7 (for Johnson 66 mins), Armstrong (for Matthews 74 mins) and Butler (for Jepson 90 mins). Att: 5,317.

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