AN embarrassing defensive display dashed Bury’s hopes of survival as they suffered a heavy 5-1 defeat at Oxford tonight.

A usually strong back five, which had not conceded a goal in four games, crumbled as the U's geared up for this weekend’s Checkatrade Trophy final at Wembley in style.

Marvin Johnson, Joe Rothwell and a Conor McAleny hat-trick wrapped up maximum points for the hosts and made Bury's 17th position in League One look all the more tender.

James Vaughan pulled a goal back with his 22nd strike of the season but the game was already all-but over as the 185 travelling Bury supporters headed home red-faced.

Lee Clark made two changes from the side which held Fleetwood to a goalless stalemate on Saturday.

Jermaine Pennant was handed his first start under the new boss, while Ryan Lowe partnered Vaughan up front.

Fellow striker Tom Pope dropped to the bench and 17-year-old Callum Styles was absent from the squad.

From the first minute Bury struggled to deal with the intensity of Oxford’s play.

Striker McAleny fired a warning shot inside four minutes after he was picked out by Rothwell down the left.

The Shakers failed to read the early signs and were punished just seven minutes later when Johnson marched forward virtually unchallenged from left-back and drove home the opening goal.

The impressive full-back strove forward again in the 19th minute, this time unleashing a drive from 35-yards which brought a fine save out of Shakers keeper Joe Murphy.

Frustration began to build in the Bury camp as Vaughan lashed an optimistic effort over from midway inside the Oxford half.

The U’s enjoyed the majority of possession and continuously unlocked the Shakers’ defence with ease. A simple one-two between Kane Hemmings and Josh Ruffels ended with the former flashing a shot across goal and wide.

A calamity at the back in the 35th minute allowed Rothwell to double the lead by striking into an empty net after Murphy had chased the ball 25 yards from his goal.

Six minutes before half time former Bolton winger Rob Hall skipped past three men before teeing up McAleny to stroke in a third.

Lowe made an uncharacteristic strong challenge on Johnson just before the break, sliding through the back of the defender to pick up a yellow card but there were many inside the Kassam Stadium who thought the forward should have walked.

Clark was furious at half time and rung the changes with Wanderers loanee Tom Walker and George Miller introduced in place of Pennant and Lowe.

But three minutes after the restart it got worse for the visitors.

Hall found McAleny on the edge of the box and he shot across Murphy to kill any hopes of a comeback.

Vaughan pulled a goal back with a header just short of the hour from Walker’s crisp corner.

And Bury looked more resolute in the final 30 minutes, playing 4-4-2.

But they could not find a way back into the match and McAleny wrapped up his hat-trick with the last kick of the game.

The defeat will spark hope in Bury's fellow strugglers who can pile the pressure on the Shakers if they win their games in hand while the Shakers now have a 10-day break before they return to action.