Bury 2 Shrewsbury Town 0

TWO goals in thirteen minutes were enough to rekindle automatic promotion hopes, but it remains to be seen whether the Shakers have reawakened interest amongst the town's floating fans.

There wasn't just a shortage of fire-power in the Bury team on Tuesday (March 4) night, there was a serious lack of enthusiasm on the terraces with the home share of the crowd down by more than three hundred from the previous Tuesday's outing against Wrexham.

The 2,690 (136 from Shrewsbury) who turned up constituted the Shakers' lowest Gigg Lane league gate of the season.

It is hard to equate that with the fact that the team has the best home record in British professional football.

Watching football isn't cheap and four games in ten days won't have helped the attendance, neither did live European action on the box or Saturday's defeat at Preston. Even so,it is hard to imagine how Bury are supposed to hang on to their best players when the money that came through the turnstiles (non-season ticket holders) on Tuesday was barely enough to pay the electricity bill!

"There is no doubt we need more paying customers," conceded boss Stan Ternent. "Without the major shareholder's financial input there would be no Bury Football Club. Having said that, I would not dream of criticising those who come to the games they have been brilliant since I took over."

Despite the lack of vocal backing for his side, Ternent continues to turn out a team that generates genuine respect amongst its rivals.

Even without four first choice players David Pugh (broken arm), Ronnie Jepson (back), Paul Butler (suspended), and Rob Matthews (knee) the Shakers carried too much class for the Shrews. Plenty of passes went astray and chances went begging, and it wasn't always pretty, but there was no denying that Bury were the better team and full value for the three points that took them back into third spot.

The magnificent Chris Lucketti - looking worth every penny of the £750,000 Bury want for him - had already brought a superb save out of Benny Gall before Adrian Randall fired them ahead in the 32nd minute.

Dean West's left wing corner - one of 23 flag kicks in an attacking game - wasn't properly cleared and Randall - the man nicknamed Spaceman by his teammates because of his laid-back attitude - delivered a rocket of a volley beyond Gall's right hand into the bottom corner.

Three minutes later Mark Carter thought he'd bagged his 15th of the season but his beautifully constructed effort was ruled out for off-side.

There was, though, no doubting the validity of David Johnson's effort on the stroke of half-time. John O'Kane's swerving, dipping 25 yarder had Gall in all kinds of trouble and when the ball broke free Johnson reacted quickest and, despite a little stutter, guided home his fifth league goal of the season and first since December.

The second half was, in the manager's words, an anti-climax with the Shakers never out of a canter to hold Shrewsbury at bay.

Andy Woodward and Nick Daws came the closest to grabbing a third goal. The former hit a rasping 35-yard effort that brought the best out of Gall, while Daws, whose lung busting running and solid tacking is such an integral part of the team, hit a spectacular over head volley inches over the bar.

"I thought the players responded well to losing on Saturday and they battled hard for the points." was Ternent's post-match verdict. "We worked tirelessly in midfield and looked solid at the back.

"All in all I am absolutely delighted. It speaks volumes for the squad system when you can carry on in the thick of the promotion race with four senior players missing."

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