BURY 4 SHEFFIELD UNITED 2

(Bury win 5-4 on agg) GARY Kelly had another surprise in store for his shell-shocked brother Alan after the Shakers keeper won the latest battle in their long running family at war tussles.

"He jokes that I never ring him but I think I'll phone him up tonight and leave a message on his answer phone after this result," smiled the Shakers keeper whose return for only his third game of an injury-hit season coincided with by far Bury's best performance to date

"To be honest I felt for him because they didn't play well and we absolutely destroyed them," he added.

"They were on a good run themselves but we could have been five goals up at half time. It just shows what we are capable of when we can outplay a side two divisions higher than us."

If Bury played like this every game they would be promoted by Christmas. The Division One form team didn't know what hit them in an embarrassingly one-sided first half in which Bury stormed into a two-goal lead, brought two class saves out of Sheffield's Kelly and created another seven good chances.

Dave Bassett's stunned side rallied after the break but it was too late. The unstoppable Phil Stant headed David Pugh's inch perfect cross past Kelly before Jostein Flo nodded one back and Paul Holland's close range last minute tap in was purely consolation. Bassett summed up: "Bury wanted it more than us. Their appetite and attitude was that of a team that wanted to win.

"Their two centre forwards caused our centre halves too many problems and our two centre forwards didn't cause their centre halves enough. We were completely outplayed in the first half and we got what we deserved."

Bury's produced the best of both worlds - aggression and commitment along with fast, flowing football - in a team display which simply purred along in a gear the Blades couldn't live with at times. They also had the two most effective players in Stant and Tony Rigby whose skill and vision mesmerised Bassett's boys.

Bury - and Stant - served notice of their intentions as early as the second minute when the striker raced to the goal-line and blasted a low cross against Mark Carter and wide.

Stant levelled the aggregate scores with a bullet near post diving header from Rigby's 15th minute cross and after Bury's inspirational pair were both denied by Kelly within 60 seconds Carter latched on to Pugh's nod through the middle to thump a low drive past the helpless keeper.

Stant's second assured the Shakers of their first home win of the season and by the time Dave Johnson latched on to another superb Rigby pass and lashed home the fourth, a minute after replacing the battle weary Stant, the Shakers were rampant.

Manager Stan Ternent praised: "We said we would try to pass the ball more and that takes time. Hopefully it can be the start of something good for us. That's the standard and we have got to try to transfer it to our league form. FORMGUIDE Kelly 6, Cross 7, Bimson 7, Reid 8, Lucketti 8, Matthewson 8, Hughes 8, Carter 8, STANT 9, Rigby 9, Pugh 8. Subs: Johnson (for Stant 83 mins), Daws and Sertori.

Att: 2,888

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