IF footballing destiny hinges on single moments in time, then David Flitcroft could well look back on Danny Nardiello’s late equaliser as an important landmark in his tenure as Bury boss.

His side went into Saturday’s FA Cup second-round tie at home to one of League Two’s form teams - Luton Town - on the back of four straight defeats.

There is no doubt the pressure was building after the one-time league leaders found themselves outside the play-off places for the first time since August.

And goalkeeper Rob Lainton’s 51st-minute clanger - letting the ball wriggle under his body to gift an opener to former Shaker Mark Cullen – just intensified the tension in the ground and on the pitch.

But Flitcroft was left beaming with pride after his men drew a line in the sand and, after pummelling Luton with corner after corner, finally converted one at the 17th attempt to put Bury into the hat for tomorrow night’s third round draw.

“There was a real rallying call from them today and that pleased me,” said Flitcroft, who had called for patience from dissenting fans following defeat at home to Dagenham and Redbridge the previous weekend.

“I saw the reaction (when we scored) from the players and the staff behind me, and the fans behind them. That will go down as a fantastic memory for me.”

It could also prove a pivotal moment for Lainton, who has struggled to hold down a regular place in the team since signing from Bolton Wanderers last summer.

He was urged to go up for the corner and caused enough of a distraction to force a mad scramble before Nardiello finally applied the finish.

“Every game has got a different memory in it, but to see that togetherness,” added Flitcroft.

“They have dug in. Rob knows he has made a mistake for the goal, but the lads have dug in for him - they didn’t want him to be feeling that on his own.

“So that was a special moment.”

Charlie Walker was handed the first chance of the tie in the 11th minute when a misplaced pass from Bury midfielder Andrew Tutte was seized upon and the Luton forward was played in behind the home side’s defence. But he put an attempted lob over the stranded Lainton and wide of the target.

The game then fell into a pattern of Bury possession ending in an errant shot or snatched final pass.

But outside the box, they looked impressive, with Danny Mayor dancing around the Luton defence, Nicky Adams scurrying into dangerous areas and a youthful strike force of Danny Rose and Hallam Hope always eager to receive the ball and link up play.

Hope, back from injury and a bout of food poisoning, had the best two efforts being the break, hitting the side netting with one and testing Mark Tyler with the other - the Hatters stopper gathering the loose ball at the second attempt before Rose was able to snaffle it up.

The pattern continued after the break before Lainton’s mad moment, when he dived over an innocuous low shot from Scott Griffiths, who prodded it goalwards while lying prone on the byline, and Cullen was there to accept the gift.

It was a case of déjà vue for Bury, who paid the ultimate price in their four previous matches for failing to turn possession into goals.

Yet, with a stronger squad and experienced substitutes like Ryan Lowe, Nardiello and Hussey squirming to get into the action, Flitcroft’s men looked determined not to give up without a fight.

Hope spurned their best chance, chipping high over the bar after being put in behind the visitors’ defence by an incisive reverse pass from Mayor.

But when Luton substitute Ricky Miller hit the post, failing to inflict the killer blow after Tom Soares had given away possession in a dangerous area, Bury’s players and fans seemed to unify behind a final push.

Hussey began to bombard the Luton penalty area with a flurry of crosses and corners, Rose finding Tyler with a shot from one such pull back before Jones blazed over from six yards from another.

Tyler, however, dealt calmly with the majority of Hussey’s balls into his box before Lainton provided an element of confusion, and out of the chaotic whirl of bodies came Nardiello to create another Kodak moment for the Flitcroft memory back.

After a difficult month the Bury boss may prefer to forget, he is now looking forward to the festive run of fixtures with a renewed vigour.

Although he refuses to acknowledge his side needed the moment of inspiration that Saturday’s escape act clearly provided.

“I don’t believe in terms of moments and inspiration,” he said. “It’s about finding yourself, finding what you are good at and sticking to that.

“Whatever you bring that is unique to the football table then bring it to the football table and that’s what we are working hard to do.

“I don’t believe in miracles – but I do believe that with honesty, hard work and endeavour people will find themselves.

“I just have to make sure that we trust each other and move the thing forward.”

BURY: Lainton 5; Cameron 7, Mills 6, J McNulty 5 (Hussey 7 71); Jones 7, Tutte 6, Soares 6, Mayor 8; Adams 7 (Lowe 6 60); Hope 7 (Nardiello 7 83), Rose 6.

Not used: Jalal, Sedgwick, O'Brien, Burgess.

LUTON TOWN: Tyler; Harriman, Franks, S McNulty, Wilkinson, Griffiths; Smith, Doyle; Drury, Cullen, Walker (Miller 59).

Not used: Lacey, Howells, Rooney, Justham, Robinson, Stevenson.

Goals: Bury 1 (Nardiello 90+2) Luton Town 1 (Cullen 51).

Yellow cards: Bury – Soares 24, Mills 62.

Referee: Nigel Miller.

Attendance: 2,790 (434 visiting).

Star man: Danny Mayor – Bury’s golden boy has consistently won the sponsor’s man-of-the-match vote in recent weeks as they floundered for a candidate during a run of dismal defeats. His fleet of foot and willingness to take on defenders is always eye catching, but there has been little or no end product. It was a similar story on Saturday, with Mayor the driving force for many of Bury’s best moments. Luton’s defence continually backed off as they struggled to keep tabs on the young midfielder’s mazy runs. And while he failed to find his range in front of goal, a clever pass to release Hallam Hope should have at least earned Mayor and assist. As and when the Shakers do eventually click back into top gear, the likelihood is the former Sheffield Wednesday winger will provide the spark that reignites their promotion push.