LIKE day to turns to night, the Aussies win the Ashes and Anne Robinson always winks at the end of her TV shows, there was an air of inevitability about Huddersfield winning this match.

For if any team attempts to defend on the edge of their own penalty area for 45 minutes, it is odds on that sooner or later they will be punished.

And that's exactly what happened to Bury. Despite Shakers boss Andy Preece telling his team at half time that they could win the match, his players seemingly ignored him.

In a dreadful second half they hardly once attempted to go forward and a grateful Huddersfield side - who were almost as bad as Bury - wrapped up the match with two goals in the final nine minutes from forward Danny Schofield.

It left Preece furious with his squad and in the after match press conference he didn't mince his words.

"We got deeper and deeper in that second half so the ball kept coming back," said Preece. "I am just so annoyed with players not being able to take responsibility themselves.

"What we lack is leaders in the side. They are a great bunch of lads who work their socks off but mentally we need a bit of strength and willingness to help others out.

"When I look around the team only Michael Nelson, who has come from Bishop Auckland and shows effort and will to win, and Jon Newby, who always tries, stood out. It is disappointing when you can only pick out two from 11 players as having done well."

Preece, who once again deserves praise for his honest and open assessment, was spot on.

This was probably the worst Bury performance since the young Shakers boss took over and the only bright spot was Nelson. In only his fifth league start, the central defender was Bury's star man by a country mile.

The best chance for Preece's side came as early as the fifth minute when Newby crossed into the path of Martyn Forrest but the midfielder blazed a difficult half volley high and wide.

After that . . . well not much really. Both teams were as bad as each other and when, just before half time, Shakers skipper Paul Reid hit an aimless free kick straight into the stand it seemed to sum up the match. Dull and listless.

The second half was slightly more exciting, in the way that watching someone paint a wall is slightly more exciting than watching it dry.

Any excitement though was reserved for Huddersfield fans only. As Bury's midfield dropped deeper, the home side were invited to launch attack after attack.

Steve Redmond cleared an Andy Booth header off the line on 58 minutes but there was no escape nine minutes from time when Schofield skipped through the Bury defence and curled a fine shot past Kenny from the edge of the box.

Bury attempted to respond but although a Sam Collins shot glanced the post, it wasn't to be.

And Huddersfield made sure when Lee Unsworth miscued the ball into the path of Schofield who celebrated his first start of the season by calmly lobbing the ball over Kenny.

BURY: Kenny 7, Unsworth 5, Armstrong 5, NELSON 8, Collins 6, Redmond 7, Forrest 6, Billy 5, Reid 6, Newby 7, Seddon 6. Subs: Preece (for Seddon 56), Bullock (for Forrest 78), Jarrett (for Redmond 82), D Swailes, Matt Murphy. Att: 8,684.