Colchester United 0 Bury 1by Steve Canavan of the Bolton Evening News
BELEAGURED Bury picked up only their second away win of the league season in Essex on Saturday and had goalkeeper Paddy Kenny to thank for that.
The Shakers custodian, playing his final game before a three match suspension, pulled off a string of magnificent saves to deny Colchester in a game the home side will feel very aggrieved not to have won.
A solitary Jon Newby strike eight minutes from normal time sealed the points for Andy Preece's smash-and-grab merchants who were delighted at their success given their crippling injury list.
All three pre-match doubts, leading scorer Gareth Seddon, on loan winger Harpal Singh and defender Danny Swailes failed to make the starting line-up and matters have worsened for Preece as Greek stopper George Syros limped off the pitch with a hamstring strain early in the first half and talismanic skipper Martyn Forrest also had to leave the action before the final whistle with a suspected broken toe.
The home side went closest to breaking the deadlock in the third minute of stoppage time when a Scott McLeish drive hit the base of the post and flew across the face of goal to safety.
Colchester came out for the second half a far more dangerous proposition and inside the first ten seconds Kenny had to pull of a terrific acrobatic stop to deny a Mickey Stockwell drive that was destined for the top corner.
Ten minutes later he was at it again, this time getting down low to deny Kevin Rapley what looked a certain goal from close range.
The Essex side continued their domination and it only looked a matter of time before they made the breakthrough but, when a goal came it arrived at the other end.
U's defender Ross Johnson miscontrolled the ball and it fell to Newby who ran at the defence with pace.
An intelligent run from Lawson gave the former Liverpool striker the space to take the ball right past the last defender and when goalkeeper Andy Woodman came out to narrow the angle Newby expertly fired into the bottom corner to stun the home fans.
Within a minute Kenny again performed heroics with an amazing double save from a point blank effort from Johnson then Jamie Stuart somehow managed to stop and clear a goalbound effort off the line as the bombardment continued. FORMGUIDE: Kenny 9, Unsworth 8, Stuart 7, Nelson 7, Redmond 7, Syros 6 (Connell, 18, 6), Jarrett 7, Forrest 7 (Clegg, 57, 6), Borley 7, Lawson 7, Newby 8. Subs not used: Garner, Murphy, Thompson. Attendance: 3,534. REFEREE: Mr J. J. Ross (Chingford)
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