WORTHINGTON CUP First round - Bury 1 Stoke City 0

ANDY Preece's stylish Shakers may have sent First Division Stoke City crashing out of the Worthington Cup, but this was no fluke.

The words 'cup' 'win' and 'Bury' have rarely been used in the same sentence in recent seasons, but there was to be no stopping the Gigg Lane men on Tuesday night as they made a mockery of a two division difference in status.

As a morale-boosting success, this victory could have far reaching consequences and not only in the minds of the players, who proved they have what it takes to perform at a higher level.

Crucially, the win sets up the chance of a money-spinning second round tie against a Premiership club and the kind of financial boost that will allow Preece to keep hold of the likes of on-loan stars Pawel Abbott and Terry Dunfield.

What seems certain at present is that he can't rely on the public of Bury to get down in numbers and provide the money to hold his blossoming squad together.

A paltry crowd of only 2,581 was nothing short of a kick in the teeth for a side that has pulled themselves up from the bootstraps after two defeats in their opening two games.

Of that figure, 697 made the trip up from the Potteries meaning a good deal fewer than 2,000 home fans bothered to leave their armchairs even when the club dropped prices to £10 and £5 for the game.

Well more fool them as they missed a treat!

Don't get the impression that this was the archetypal giant-killing act where the lower division side resort to spoiling tactics to stifle their pedigree opponents.

All the slick football worthy of mention came from the Shakers and a neutral would have been hard pressed to tell which team left Division Two by the relegation and promotion trapdoors at the end of last season.

In fairness Stoke did make the better start and for the first 25 minutes or so Bury struggled to counter their pace and physical strength.

Two goalline clearances by Abbott and Dunfield kept them at bay following dangerous corner kicks, but gradually the Shakers warmed to their task and started to play the kind of flowing football that's been their trademark in recent weeks.

One of their flowing moves almost resulted in a goal that would have sent them into a first half stoppage time lead when Jon Newby found George Clegg in the box and only a acrobatic block by defender Wayne Thomas saved the day for the Potters.

The second half began with Bury in the ascendancy and both Dunfield and Danny Swailes went close before the deadlock was broken in an impressive manner.

The awesome move that led to the goal began deep into the Shakers half, level with their penalty area.

Skipper Martyn Forrest shrugged off a number of Stoke challenges before releasing the ball to Clegg who raced into the Stoke half and fed Newby on the right wing.

The former Liverpool man teased defender Clive Clarke before delivering a marvellous ball that completely deceived Neil Cutler in Stoke's goal and Jamie Stuart arrived at the back post to head powerfully home.

It was as good a goal as you'd see anywhere in the country including the money-laden, much-vaunted 'best league in the world'.

From then onwards there was no way Steve Cotterill's side were going to get a lifeline back into the match as Bury, without a clean sheet all season, shut up shop.

They even added to their tally twenty minutes from time when Swailes powered a header against Cutler's bar with the Stoke custodian well beaten.

Clegg saw a goalbound effort cleared off the line by Clarke and Dunfield almost caught out Cutler with a clever free kick that shaved the near post.

The Potters were reduced to ten men in the 77th minute when Icelander Brynjar Gunnarsson put in a rash two-footed challenge that left Michael Nelson writhing in agony.

Referee Graham Salisbury had no hesitation in brandishing a red card, a decision that even Gunnarsson's manager agreed with.

As Stoke through everything forward in search of a leveller Glyn Garner pulled off the save of the game when he somehow managed to punch a Chris Iwelumo header over the bar from close range.

But anything other than a Shakers win would have been a travesty and after the bosses now customary last five minute cameo role helped run down stoppage time there was huge roar of delight and a thoroughly deserved standing ovation from the home fans.

BURY

Glyn Garner...8

Jamie Stuart...8

Danny Swailes...8

Michael Nelson...8

Lee Unsworth...8

Martyn Forrest...8

George Clegg...8

Pawel Abbott...8

Terry Dunfield...9

Colin Woodthorpe...8

Jon Newby...8

Subs: Billy (for Unsworth, 46) 7; Redmond (for Stuart, 86); Preece (For Abbott, 90) 6. Not used: O'Shaughnessy and George.

Yellow card: Abbott (31)

STOKE CITY: Cutler, Thomas, Clarke (Henry, 85), Handyside, Shtaniuk, Gunnarsson, Gudjonsson (Hoekstra, 63), Cooke (Goodfellow, 63), Iwelumo, O'Connor, Commons. Subs not used: Viander and Vandeurzen.

Yellow card: Clarke (75)

Red card: Gunnarsson (77)

REFEREE: Mr G. Salisbury (Preston)

ATT: 2,581 (697 Stoke)