BURY...4

KIDDERMINSTER HARRIERS...0

BURY ended their Bank Holiday programme in superb style with a second stunning victory in three days.

Hard on the back of Saturday's convincing 3-0 triumph at local rivals Rochdale it was the turn of Jan Molby's Kidderminster Harriers side to get the new-look Shakers treatment.

Four superbly created and executed goals hardly flattered Graham Barrow's men who lifted themselves to fourth place in the table.

Teenage striker Dave Nugent was the architect of the triumph, scoring one and setting up the other three to no doubt send visiting talent scouts away from Gigg Lane drooling.

Nugent has been a revelation since the season started and his blossoming partnership with Chris Porter is a joy to behold at present and it's hard to imagine their combined age is only 39 years!

But it's all over the field and not just up front that things are looking decidedly brighter for the Shakers.

It's no surprise that the team's second successive clean sheet has coincided with the return of Danny Swailes who, along with skipper Dave Challinor and Paul Scott has given the centre of defence an impregnable look.

And with midfield tenacity and guile in equal measures in the middle of the park creating scoring chances all of a sudden doesn't seem too difficult.

Add all that to an impressive team spirit and work ethic and it's no wonder people are suddenly smiling again in the Gigg Lane stands.

Such was the Shakers' superiority it was a wonder that it took until 32 minutes for them to open the scoring.

But once they broke the deadlock there was never any chance of the Harriers getting their noses back into the game.

Defender Paul Scott won the ball and fed Porter who threaded an inch-perfect ball for Nugent to chase.

The young Scouser's finish was as textbook correct as the one he scored on Saturday at Spotland, coolly rounding Harriers' keeper John Danby to expertly fire into the roof of the net.

In first half stoppage time the roles were reversed when the impressive Dave Flitcroft won the ball in the middle of the park and Nugent went scurrying away down the left.

With the Kidderminster defence drawn towards Nugent he showed great awareness to spot co-striker Porter in acres of space in front of goal delivering a superb pass that gave his teammate all the time in the world to expertly clip the ball over Danby for Bury's second.

Just before the hour mark Flitcroft grabbed his first goal since arriving at Gigg Lane when he calmly side-footed home his side's third from the edge of the box after being played in by Nugent.

Then four minutes later Kidderminster were effectively dead and buried when, following another incisive run by Nugent into the heart of enemy territory, Porter was handed the simple task of steering the ball over the line from point blank range.

The only disappointing aspect of a splendid allround display was the laughable dismissal of Flitcroft for a second bookable offence although the visitors had a sending off of their own when Mickey Mellon was given his marching orders shortly before the whistle after a stinker of a challenge on Porter.

Flitcroft's red card will keep him out of tomorrow's home clash against Lincoln City and the combative midfielder was less than impressed with referee Trevor Kettle's decision who seemed in his element when handing out the cards.

"The first challenge I was booked for was a strong one from my point of view but he said he it was two-footed," explained Flitcroft.

"I go in for challenges like that every game and I'm entitled to do so.

"As for the second one, I think he had the card out before I'd made the tackle,

"To say I'm gutted is an understatement it put a dampener on a superb performance for me."

Barrow concurred with his player saying: "It was a sickener for Dave because I think he was having one of his best games for us.

"The second offence wasn't bookable in my view so he shouldn't have been sent off.

"I didn't think the referee did himself any favours and caused more trouble for himself with the amount of bookings he made."