NORTHAMPTON 1, SHAKERS 0: ONCE again the Shakers' FA Cup bogey reared its ugly head as they crashed out to Football League opposition and scuppered their chances of a lucrative run in the competition.

You have to go back to December 1994 for the last time Bury defeated a league team in the competition, a record that will be extended for another 12 months at least.

Only time will tell what implications Saturday's defeat will have on the fortunes of the club over the next few months but it is not going to make the jobs of the board or manager Graham Barrow any easier.

It was a sorry tale of penalties conceded and not awarded, goals conceded and disallowed and chances squandered at Sixfields.

Yet one thing that's never lacking from the current Bury team is commitment and effort and, at least, once again those commodities were in abundance.

The reception they received at the final whistle from the 500-plus travelling fans who made the trip bore that out.

Those supporters were almost rewarded with an early goal after three minutes.

Good work between Tom Kennedy and Brian Barry-Murphy sent Dave Nugent clear down the left. He spotted a late run into the box from Dwayne Mattis but the midfielder's first time effort was scrambled clear by Lee Harper.

But the home side gradually began to pose questions of their own with former Shakers trialist Scott McGleish, a particular danger.

The Northampton leading scorer had a great chance to put his side into the lead after 14 minutes when a free-kick into the Bury box struck the hand of Matt Barrass and referee Paul Taylor pointed to the spot.

However, Andy Marriott in the Shakers goal guessed the right way and McGleish's effort was superbly saved.

The home striker's misery was put firmly behind him eight minutes later minute when he headed home what proved to be the winner. Pedj Bojic got away from Kennedy down the right and when his cross was only half cleared Martin Smith fired in an shot that Barrass could only divert onto the bar, leaving McGleish with an easy chance to head over a despairing Marriott.

It was clear that Barrow's men would have to step up a gear in the second half and they did but not before Bertrand Cozic had a close range effortcancelled out for offside six minutes after the restart.

In the 57th minute came the first of two crucial decisions that ultimately decided their fate when Chris Porter was clearly tripped in the box by Luke Chambers only for referee Taylor to turn down appeals for a penalty.

The decision was compounded by the fact that the Shakers are still without a spot kick award 23 games into the season while the one McGleish converted in

the first half was their eighth conceded. Meanwhile, in the 71st minute substitute Simon Whaley drilled a ball intothe box that Danny Swailes diverted past Harper only for it to be ruled offside.

In between those incidents Bury had a gilt-edged chance to level butd Lee Unsworth blasted over. post.