Bury FC: All's well that ends well THAT well worn cliche 'a game of two halves' was never more fitting than to describe the footballing fayre served up at Gigg Lane on Saturday.

Anyone with an ounce of gambling blood in their veins wouldn't have put a brass farthing on Bury picking up all three points after a grim first half display.

But it all ended happily as goals from the much-maligned Andy Preece and substitute Darren Bullock ended Wycombe's superb away run and kept the Shakers on the shirt-tails of the Division Two pacesetters.

Bury boss Neil Warnock admitted he couldn't wait for the half-time whistle to make the changes which saw Dean Barrick - starting a league match for the club for the first time since the Birmingham City game last Christmas - and Lee Richardson replaced by Steve Redmond and Darren Bullock.

Neither player had done anything particularly wrong, indeed Warnock described Barrick as probably Bury's best man, but it was a disjointed performance - especially worrying in the wake of last Saturday's display at Oldham - and remedial work was essential.

Wycombe began as you'd expect a team who hadn't been beaten on their travels since last March and took the game to the off-colour Shakers from the off.

Paddy Kenny was relieved to see a deflected Keith Ryan shot dip over his crossbar as early as the third minute and he had to be at his agile best to push over a blistering angled drive from the same player minutes later.

At the other end Bury struggled to make inroads on Martin Taylor's goal and carved out only one serious chance when Paul Reid raced onto a Richardson through ball, held off the challenge of Jason Cousins before unleashing a powerful dipping left-footer that cannoned off Taylor's bar. That chance apart, until the break it was pretty sterile stuff from the Shakers, not helped by a gale force wind, and chairman Terry Robinson's decision to attend a wedding on the day looked like being a wise one with most of the paying customers wishing they'd have received invitations too!

Nevertheless, one bright spot was the performance of 'keeper Kenny who is growing in confidence with every game.

Anyone who doubted the wisdom of giving the former Bradford player his chance in the first team at the start of the season must be eating their words after another sterling performance.

His all round game, handling, kicking and shot-stopping have been exemplary so far this season and he stopped the Shakers going in a goal behind two minutes from the break.

When the Chairboys' Sean Devine sprang the home side's offside trap to race clear on goal, Kenny kept his head and expertly forced the striker wide of the goal giving his defenders enough time to get back and save the day.

Three minutes after the break Warnock's changes nearly brought an early reward when Lawson broke down the right and drilled a dangerous ball into the box which Wycombe defender Bates just managed to clear to safety in front of the incoming Littlejohn.

But the rejuvenated Shakers weren't to be denied and after 53 minutes they went in front.

There looked little danger when Reid played a deep ball high into the box but with the Wanderers defence standing like statues Preece somehow stooped to direct a fine header agonisingly out of reach of a despairing Taylor. Minutes later the Wycombe 'keeper, seemingly carrying an injury, was replaced by former Bolton youngster Mark Westhead.

Fifteen minutes from time Preece turned provider when he neatly backheeled into the path of Bullock but he placed his shot high over the bar when one of his trademark piledrivers might have been more rewarding.

However, the tenacious midfielder made amends two minutes from time with the second goal.

A fine ball down the right flank by Billy was picked up by substitute Paul Barnes. He fed Preece who picked out Bullock just outside the box who had time to set himself up before drilling a low drive just inside Westhead's post.

"That was a great win for us aginast a side who are full of confidence at the moment," said Warnock.

"We really were at sixes and sevens in the first half and I was glad to hear the half-time whistle so we could change things around.

"I said to the lads that Wycombe had enjoyed a good half and that we had to do the same and in the end I think we thoroughly deserved the three points."

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