WHILE understandably delighted with a superb victory at League Two's top team, there was more than a tinge of frustration in Graham Barrow's post-match interview at Huish Park.

For the second time this season he had watched his Bury side take three points off the top quality Glovers.

On the first occasion, at Gigg on the opening day of the campaign, the 3-1 triumph sent optimism soaring, the fixture having the distinct look of an early promotion six-pointer.

So it was understandable that there was more than a hint of 'what might have been' in this scoreline, as welcome as it was.

It's been well documented how the club's season imploded at the end of last year, forcing the sale of valuable assets and resulting in a reduced sized squad that was incapable of dealing with an untimely crop of injuries to key performers.

But now, with those players back, the points are starting to be chalked up again and hopes are high of a morale-boosting end of season run with eight games remaining.

For the second time in two weeks, Simon Whaley was on the scoresheet, firing home in the first half to put a dampener on the carnival atmosphere that almost always pervades the neat little Yeovil ground.

It was a result that none of the green-and-white bedecked locals expected, and spoke volumes for the spirit, attitude and endeavour of a squad that will hopefully be together - with some much-needed reinforcements - next season.

The win also went a long way to easing the worry of a late slide into the relegation places for Barrow's men, but the manager couldn't help but reflect that, but for circumstances, the points could have been utilised for an assault on the promotion and play-off slots.

"It's a great win for us because it keeps us away from the trouble at the bottom, but at the same time it's a bit of a sickener because we should have been in the mix at the top," he said.

"All the good football we were playing earlier in the season seems to have been forgotten and eradicated because of where we are in the league, but that was simply because we couldn't put a strong side out.

"Now we have players like Chris Porter, Dwayne Mattis and Glyn Garner coming back it's amazing the difference it makes.

"But we don't apologise for the way we played today because we are fighting for our lives, we had to get something from the game."

Yeovil had scored 47 goals in their previous 18 home games, scoring in every one and in Phil Jevons they boasted the division's leading marksman with 24.

But they couldn't break down a rejuvenated Shakers side who were in no mood to be sacrificial lambs following the Glovers' surprise defeat at Darlington last weekend.

Nevertheless, the home side started strongly and put the Bury defence under intense pressure in the opening minutes, roared on by their vociferous supporters who have a Worzels concert to look forward to at Huish Park later next month!

As early as the second minute Garner made a vital save from Polish striker Bartosz Tarachulski and Lee Unsworth headed off the line from Aaron Davies as the home side's mobile front-runners weaved their way through the Shakers' defence at every opportunity.

But Bury, defending stoutly, rode out the storm and stunned the home fans by taking the lead in the 14th minute.

A quickly taken throw-in on the right wing by Dave Challinor was returned to him by Unsworth, and when the skipper delivered a dangerous cross into the box the ball broke for Whaley who drilled a powerful effort past Steve Collis.

Stung by the temerity of lowly visitors going in front, Yeovil hit back with a Tarachulski shot on the turn that Garner acrobatically pushed over the bar, while Darren Way fired a first time volley across the face of goal.

But it wasn't all one-way traffic. Following a quick break, Jon Newby saw a chip headed over the bar by Terry Skiverton and in first half stoppage time Whaley almost doubled his tally with a low shot that cannoned off the legs of Collis to safety.

The Shakers were expecting an early onslaught after the break but it failed to materialise.

In fact, frustrated by their inability to break down a resolute back line, the home side resorted to long ball tactics which were meat and drink to Bury's three central defenders, Dave Challinor, John Fitzgerald and Colin Woodthorpe, who all played superbly.

A miscued clearance by Tom Kennedy, did almost set up Lee Johnson, but the Town manager's son failed to celebrate his dad's 200th game in charge of his club with a goal, slicing his first time effort well wide.

Predictably, the home side turned the screw in the final minutes, lumping the ball into the Bury box at every opportunity but all ten yellow-shirted heroes and Garner grafted tirelessly and bravely to keep them out.

Jevons twice blasted shots off target while during the four minutes of injury time Michael Rose hit a shot from the edge of the box that cleared the crossbar and the Bury fans behind Garner's goal, ending up out of the ground completely.

There it probably met hundreds of Town supporters who had voted with their feet minutes earlier.

PHIL THORP