NORTHAMPTON TOWN 1 BURY 0: IT turned out to be anything but a Good Friday for Bury as they went down to a single goal defeat in this relegation six-pointer.

But not only did they let their Second Division relegation rivals pull a crucial three points clear of them, the luckless Shakers also look like missing influential defender Jamie Stuart for the rest of the season after he was stretchered off in the second half.

With so much at stake it was predictable that one goal would settle a tense encounter - unfortunately it came the way of the Cobblers.

It was a familiar story at the Sixfields Stadium with the Gigg Lane men enjoying the lion's share of possession yet struggling to create clear cut chances.

Player-boss Andy Preece only made one change to the starting line-up against Port Vale last week with loan signing Phil Clarkson filling the void left by Jason Jarrett's midweek move to Wigan.

In the 21st minute Clarkson came close to breaking the deadlock for the Shakers when he got on the end of a fine ball from George Clegg and lobbed Cobblers keeper Keith Welch only to see it agonisingly bounce off the top of the crossbar.

Jon Newby was first to the rebound but he could only blast his first time effort over the bar.

By that time the Shakers really should have been a goal behind after Northampton's leading scorer Jamie Forrester had sprung the Bury offside trap and set up James Hunt for what ought to have been a tap in.

But with the goal at his mercy, six yards out and time to kill he tried to place the ball past Kenny who stuck out his right arm to block.

It was a shocking miss but one that Hunt would put right later in the game. In the closing minutes of the half former Plymouth ace Paul McGregor twice went close for the home side but in stoppage time another glaring miss, this time from Sam Parkin who poked a point blank effort wide, could have given the Shakers the idea that it might just be their night.

Indeed they opened the second period with aplomb. Danny Swailes squandered a great chance but could only direct his header from a Clegg free kick wide of goal and boss Preece had a goalbound effort blocked by Daryl Burgess after a neat ball from Lee Unsworth.

The crucial moment of the game arrived after 57 minutes when the home side scored completely against the run of play.

The move started with keeper Welch who bowled the ball out to skipper Roy Hunter who raced 40 yards into the Shakers half.

He slipped the ball inside to Hunt who was allowed to advance into the danger zone before playing a neat one-two with Forrester and rifle a fine left foot drive past Kenny from ten yards.

The Shakers still pressed forward, but without an end product. A Jon Newby shot looked like levelling matters only for an outstretched leg to deflect for a corner and in the dying seconds a frantic scramble in the Cobblers penalty area ended with keeper Kenny heading over the bar after racing the length of the field in a desperate attempt to equalise.

But the sight of Stuart being stretchered off after 82 minutes with a serious ankle injury will only add to the worries down at Gigg.

The luckless full back, who spent a trial period with Northampton earlier in the season, picked up the injury in an innocuous challenge on Christian Hargreaves.

The Shakers motto this season seems to be 'anything that can go wrong will go wrong' and Lady Luck seems to be keeping them to those words for the full 46 games!

BURY FORMGUIDE: Kenny 7, Swailes 7, COLLINS 8, Unsworth 7, Forrest 6, Reid 6 (Lawson, 77), Preece 6, Clarkson 6, Clegg 6 (Nelson, 90), Newby 7, Stuart 7 (Billy, 82). Subs not used: Connell, Nugent and Borley REFEREE: Mr M. Messias (York)

ATTENDANCE: 6,522