Bristol Rovers 2 Bury 0

There's never a good time for an unbeaten run to end but Bury left the Memorial Ground upset they hadn't put up a better performance to protect their seven game record.

Manager Andy Preece summed up the 90 minutes perfectly in his post mortem: "We didn't lack commitment and effort but we lacked quality in our finishing and with our final pass."

It was the Shakers first loss since the debacle at Swindon Town on January 27 and the first time on loan strikers Jon Newby and Colin Cramb had finished on the losing side.

For Preece, it was double the disappointment at not being able to play a more active role in trying to rescue at least a point.

Despite two goals in last week'sreserve win over Hartlepool, the Bury chief left himself out because of a back injury.

After visiting a specialist, Preece has been told to rest until the end of the season but it seems unlikely he will heed the advice.

"There will be plenty of time over the summer to rest it," he explained after seeing goals from Steve Foster and Dwayne Plummer give the Pirates three vital points in their battle against relegation.

"I want to be involved and there is always that thought that maybe I could make a difference if I got on. But you want to do yourself and the team justice.

"So, I will rest it for a few days and get somewhere close to full fitness rather than just doing half a job."

Sadly for the visitors, their best chances came when Rovers were already 2-0 up. Colin Cramb, jeered everytime by the home fans because of his Bristol City links, might have finished with a hat-trick.

However, the finishing skills that helped bring down second division leaders Millwall a week ago were clearly missing.

Strike partner Newby had far fewer opportunities to score his first goal away from Gigg Lane.

And a half chance in the first period from Paul Reid's miss-hit shot was the closer he came. "We didn't give Cramb or the Newby the service," admitted Preece.

"We huffed and puffed and defensively we didn't do that badly. But as an attacking team we lacked that bit of extra quality."

Rovers, whose side included ex Bury midfielder Ronnie Mauge, played with the advantage of the strong wind and the slight slope during the first 45 minutes.

Referee Steve Baines, another Gigg Lane old boy, waved aside several early penalty appeals from Bristol but was kept busy awarding a string of corners.

And it was from one of these set pieces that the 'Gasheads' broke the deadlock. Plummer's corner hung in the air, no Bury player claimed responsibility to clear the danger and unchallenged Foster rose first to make it 1-0.

Paddy Kenny then held a header from Ansah Owusu before Newby's weakly struck left-footer couldn't trouble former Manchester United youngster Nick Culkin.

Bury looked more lively after the interval without ever threatening to find an equaliser. And it was Plummer who had Kenny scrambling across his line with a 30 yard fizzer that only just missed the target.

Bury went for broke in the 65th minute bringing Adrian Littlejohn into a three man forward line at the expense of Martyn Forrest who hadn't exerted his usual influence on midfield.

In the 77th minute the Shakers gained only their second corner of the game and their first since the opening minute which was a fair indication of how the game had gone in between.

Then, in the 81st minute Rovers netted the decisive second goal.

Leading scorer Nathan Ellington and the impressive Plummer worked an excellent one-two, Plummer accepted the return pass and drilled a fine finish beyond Kenny's despairing dive.

Perhaps sensing the job was done Rovers appeared to relax and Cramb drove in a series of shots that might have yielded a late goal.

But Culkin and his team held firm to avenge their 1-0 defeat at Gigg Lane last October.

"We had to lose the unbeaten record sometime but it's how we bounce back that is important," added Preece.

Bury: Kenny, Collins, Redmond, C.Swailes, Billy (sub 82 James), Forrest (sub 65 Littlejohn), Daws, Reid, Armstrong, Newby, Cramb; unused subs: Barnes, Hill, Connell. Man of the match: Steve Redmond

Referee: Mr Steve Baines (Chesterfield)

Attendance: 7065