THE Bury players' pre-match instruction was to block out the noise from the vociferous, partisan Swansea supporters and concentrate on their game.

In the end they went one better.

With seven minutes of the match remaining the self-styled Jack Army were sent streaming from the stadium after Brian Barry-Murphy's superb free-kick found the net to give the Shakers an unassailable 3-1 lead.

Three top quality goals had shunted the railroading Swans' eight game winning sequence firmly into the sidings and kept the Gigg Lane men well and truly in promotion-chasing pack.

In a number of matches this season Graham Barrow's men haven't picked up the results their displays have warranted.

They appear to be putting that bad habit behind them now.

Just like the previous week's victory over Notts County, this wasn't a complete performance, indeed they've played better and failed to win.

But at least the team are now picking up the victories that will take their points tally to the more realistic total their consistent displays merit.

That's not to say they didn't deserve to win their final game at the Swans' famous old Vetch Field ground, they did.

But even Barrow admits that there is more to come from the side, which must augur well for the rest of the season.

There was an amazing start to the game with three goals punctuating a frantic first seven minutes.

Slow out of the blocks, the Shakers went behind inside 90-odd seconds, when evergreen striker Kevin Nugent evaded his marker to beat keeper Andy Marriott with an effort on the turn, following good work from Lee Trundle.

But before the home fans cheering had died down there was another Nugent goal.

Thankfully this one came from Bury's Dave!

Picking up the ball inside his own half, the Shakers' leading scorer went route one, running with pace at a home defence that seemed perplexed as what to do with him.

Their puzzlement turned to misery seconds later when he cut inside and fired home a low drive from the edge of the box that beat Swans' keeper Willy Gueret at his near post.

Four minutes later Bury had the temerity to take the lead with a goal that, if anything, was more spectacular than Nugent's effort.

Dave Flitcroft chipped the ball up to Chris Porter just inside the City penalty area, under pressure from Alan Tate he flicked it into the path of Dwayne Mattis who spectacularly volleyed a screamer into the top corner, giving Gueret no hope.

"I was right behind it and had a great view, it was a fantastic goal," enthused Barrow.

"Their keeper is decent but there was no way he was going to save it.

"It's got to be a goal of the season contender."

The strike worked wonders for Bury's nervy start and it was the home side who began to look rocky.

But in Trundle they have one of the most effective strikers in the lower divisions.

For all his showboating antics he is a potent threat and the former Stalybridge, Southport and Wrexham man began to ask one or two questions of his own.

Matt Barrass did well to get in a late challenge that caused Trundle to scuff a shot straight at Marriott, and when he did get a clear shot on goal on the half hour, the Bury keeper did well to turn the ball away for a corner.

When he conned referee Steve Tanner into giving a free-kick against Colin Woodthorpe 20-yards out, Andy Gurney fired wide, but that action aside the resolute Shakers' defence, with Barrass, Woodthorpe and Danny Swailes at the heart, looked solid and coped well for the rest of the half.

In the second period the Swans, predictably, took the game to Bury without any great success.

Swailes nullified Trundle and the back line reduced the home side to shots from distance.

Twice midway through the half Marriott had to be alert to shots from outside the box.

The first, a free-kick from Trundle, he did well to save at the second attempt after the powerfully struck effort skidded along the, by then, wet and slippery surface.

Then Gurney tried his luck again with a fierce shot that Marriott elected to punch, effectively, for a throw-in.

As the game entered its final minutes it was Bury who began to threaten again.

Substitute Colin Kazim-Richards, who replaced Porter, had a good chance to get his first Football League goal when Barry-Murphy fed him in the box, but his deflected effort only found the side-netting.

Minutes later a mazy dribble by Nugent was ended by Tate, who clipped his heels just outside the box.

Barry-Murphy stepped up to curl a superb left-foot effort just inside the post and that was game over!

In the final minute a superb ball from Lee Unsworth sent second substitute Jon Newby clear, but his angled effort only found the grateful arms of Gueret.

"They were all quality goals," added Barrow.

"The game was an acid test for us and showed just what we have got to offer."