SHAKERS 2, NOTTS COUNTY 3: Despite a stirring second half fightback that saw Chris Casper's side come within a goal-line clearance of salvaging a point, Bury ultimately paid the price for a lack of a cutting edge and poor defending.

There was only one team in the game for most of the first half as the Shakers looked to extend their unbeaten league run to six games and subject the struggling Magpies to their 11th match without a win.

Inside the first 12 minutes Simon Whaley, Matthew Tipton, Dwayne Mattis and Nicky Adams all spurned opportunities to test Kevin Pilkington in the County goal and after the half hour mark, Tipton was unlucky with a spectacular overhead kick.

Nevertheless, the visitors went in front after 35 minutes when David Pipe's left wing corner found an unchallenged Hurst whose looping header crept just inside the post.

Whaley set up another good chance for Adams three minutes after County's goal but the youngster fired over the bar, and as half-time approached Hurst made it 2-0.

A loose ball ought to have been dealt with by Challinor and Scott but Hurst pounced and beat Edwards with a low shot.

Worse was to come when kamikaze marking then allowed Hurst to fire home from close range following a corner from Rob Ullathorne.

The seed for the Shakers fightback was planted three minutes later when Ullathorne handled in the box and Tom Kennedy stepped up to fire home the spot-kick. Then the hard-working Dave Buchanan, started the move for the second goal before Tom Youngs flicked the ball on and Whaley was on hand at the back post to stab home from point blank range.

Stuart Barlow had a shot cleared off the line as Bury turned the screw but tempers flared in the final minutes and both Scott and Whaley for Bury and White and Kelvin Wilson picked up yellow cards.

In stoppage time there was worse fortune for Shakers keeper Edwards who, for the second time in two weeks, raced out of his goal to bring down a striker when clean through. Although he got away with a booking at Chester last week, on this occasion he received a straight red card.

With all substitutes used, skipper Dave Challinor took over in goal and made a good save from Julian Baudet's free-kick.

BURY: Edwards, Scott (Fitzgerald 87), Challinor, Woodthorpe, Kennedy,Whaley, Flitcroft,Mattis, Buchahah, Adams (Barlow 70), Tipton (Youngs 57).Subs not used: Dootson and Sedgemore.

ATTENDANCE: 2,671