Gillingham 1, Bury 0

ANDY PREECE did his chances of landing the Bury manager's job no harm at all with an away-day show at Gillingham that won praise from many quarters.

Preece headed up the Gang of Four given responsibility for team affairs following the departure of Neil Warnock to Sheffield United.

Steve Redmond, Paul Barnes and skipper Nicky Daws were the others running the show and Gills boss Peter Taylor was rich in his praise for the Bury contingent's efforts.

"The players in charge seem to be doing very well," said Taylor. "Bury passed the ball around nicely, and I hope the board give the lads their backing and the chance to do the job.

"Bury made it very difficult for us. They are a very hard team to play against.

"I thought it was a good performance from us bearing in mind so many of the Bury players were in the First Division last season," added Taylor.

Over in South Yorkshire meanwhile, Warnock described Sheffield United as "Rolls Royce-like" in stature compared to his former Gigg Lane garage.

Few will claim the lock-up he's left behind is blessed with Silver Spirits - but the Cloud his unceremonious departure has created can have a silver lining if Saturday's battling defeat is anything to go by. For more than an hour, Bury's patched-up side stood strong like a trusty Chevvy in the face of an anticipated battering from the Division Two form side.

The engine of Darren Bullock and Nick Daws held its own in midfield, while Steve Redmond booted away everything thrown at him.

But the wheels came off in the one move of real quality in this stop-start match.

Marauding full-back Roland Edge picked up a loose ball on halfway, surged towards the box and played a delightful exchange with Nicky Southall before beating Paddy Kenny with a cool side-foot.

The 63rd minute strike was the 21-year-old's first at senior level and worthy of winning any match - which it duly did.

The going was always going to be tough for a Bury team missing Dean Barrick, Lutel James and top scorer Ian Lawson, among others.

Youngsters Martin Forrest, making his first full team appearance, and Ryan Souter were drafted in.

Souter came on as a 22nd minute substitute for Andy Woodward - yet another injury victim.

And Souter was hurt himself as he went in on Gillingham winger John Hodge, who had to be stretchered off.

Daws was quick to leap to Souter's defence. "The ball was there to be won and Ryan just went for it," said the skipper. "I don't think it was a bad tackle their lad just came off worse," added Daws.

Back to the football, and more than 30 minutes had elapsed before Bury managed a serious effort on Vince Bartram's goal - by that stage Gills' rookie striker Nayron Nosworthy had inexplicably sliced a volley over from six-yards and defender Guy Butters' header shaved a post. When Bury's two best chances did arrive they both fell to Barnes within a minute of each other. Bartram's poor clearance was returned by Bullock, but the big keeper made amends by diving bravely at Barnes' feet as he closed in.

Seconds later a routine high ball from defence found the robust striker in space but, after his initial shot was well saved, he blazed the rebound well over the bar.

The misses proved costly as such sorties deep into opposition territory were few and far between.

Gills' grizzled rearguard of Barry Ashby, Adrian Pennock and Butters rarely looked troubled and the trio could well guide them one step further than last year's play-off heartbreak against Manchester City.

Speculative long-range efforts from Redmond and Barnes were all Bury had to show in a second half which saw them dictate more possession, but without the guile to break through.

Nosworthy was denied a second for Gillingham - who have now won eight on the trot at Priestfield - by the bar and Bullock's goal-saving interception.

Daws added: "We went there, had a go at them and took them by surprise a little bit. For 45 minutes we caused Gillingham more problems tHan they caused us.

"They changed it at half-time. Losing Andy Woodward didn't help and Baichung took a knock as well, but the kids came and did really well.

"We tired a bit later in the game after our long trip to Cardiff the previous Tuesday and the game down there. We didn't get home until 3am on Wednesday and then there was this long trip on top of that, although we did go down Friday and stopped over before the match on Saturday.

"I don't think we deserved to be beaten at Gillingham. Preecey generally took care of things, but everyone mucked in and did brilliantly."

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