BURY’S vital statistics speak for themselves – four straight wins on the back of three consecutive clean sheets have seen them move up to fifth place in League Two.

The fact that their last two victories have come against promotion rivals just underlines the headway David Flitcroft’s side are beginning to make.

After going into Saturday’s game at Plymouth level on points with John Sheridan’s outfit, they now have a six-point buffer over Argyle, who have dropped out of the play-off places into eighth.

And Tom Soares’ ninth-minute header against Luton on Tuesday night proved enough to move them level with their fourth-placed opponents while keeping the gap to the top three to just five points.

Flitcroft’s fast-improving side are clearly building up a head of steam and goalkeeper Nick Pope, who played a key role in securing the three points against Luton, says the players are ready to ride the runaway train all the way to promotion.

“Luton at home, Plymouth away – a lot of people would have said they would take four points from those games, but not in our dressing room. No-one was saying that, we were going for six,” he said.

“That’s how we will go for the rest of the season.

“We have just got to keep it going. Let’s secure our place in the play-offs first and then kick on from there.”

The on-loan Charlton keeper made three outstanding saves and took the pressure off in a nervy finale with some brave takes.

But for the opening 40 minutes he was a mere bystander.

Bury threatened to blow Luton away with a breathless start as they twice had the ball in the net inside the opening 10 minutes.

Nicky Adams’s tap-in on five minutes was ruled out for offside after the ball was palmed to his feet following a Danny Mayor shot.

But they were in front four minutes later when Soares put in a giant leap to head in Chris Hussey’s floated cross, claiming his fourth goal of the season and first since Boxing Day.

Soares was central to Bury’s sizzling early display, bombing forward from midfield in support of lone frontman Danny Nardiello, while also linking up well with roaming wide men Mayor and Adams.

Bury skipper Nathan Cameron was also looking just as much of a threat at set-pieces as he was composed at the back.

He had a header from an Adams corner blocked on the line in the 18th minute and saw another effort brush the roof of the net in first-half stoppage time.

Andrew Tutte was another key figure, charging from box to box. The midfielder also rustled the side-netting with a curling free kick on the half hour.

And Mayor tried hard to translate his mazy dribbling on the left into an end product, but for once the talented winger failed to trouble the keeper, hitting a succession of shots high and wide before seeing a header from a Joe Riley cross go the same way.

Luton offered very little going forward, but slowly played their way back into the game in the closing five minutes of the first half.

And Luke Guttridge gave Bury a timely reminder just why the Hatters are sitting fourth in the table, firing in a shot that looked destined for the top corner before Pope somehow tipped it behind at full stretch.

“The lads are calling me ‘gadget man’ after that one – my arm kind of gained an inch,” said Pope.

“It just took a deflection, and to be honest when I touched it I still thought it was in, so I was buzzing to see it go round the post.”

Rattled Hatters boss John Still sent on wingers Alex Lawless and Nathan Oduwa for the restart.

The changes did not seem to put Bury off their stride, though, with full-back Riley forcing his way into the box before putting an improvised shot well wide.

A third Luton substitution inside the hour saw former Shakers striker Mark Cullen replace the ineffective Jayden Stockley.

But it was a Bury switch that produced the loudest cheer of the night as Ryan Lowe returned from injury for his first appearance in nine matches.

And the 36-year-old forward was soon in on the action, producing a strong save from Elliot Justham after firing a stinging shot across goal.

The Shakers were unable to put Luton to the sword, though, and they would surely have paid for their missed chances but for Pope.

He stood tall to block a Guttridge shot with his legs when the Hatters midfielder looked destined to score after a low cross from Lawless found him unmarked at the back post.

And Pope was at it again at the death, flying full length to his right to keep out a Cameron McGeehan header.

“That’s why you play football, for nights like tonight,” he said. “Especially if you are a goalkeeper - to win 1-0 is the goalkeeper’s scoreline.

“It was pure adrenalin and I loved it.

“You are never going to dominate a game for 90 minutes. We knew we were going to come under some pressure and we did, so it was good to ride it out.”

BURY: Pope 9; Riley 7, Cameron 8, El-Abd 7, Hussey 7; Etuhu 6; Adams 7 (Jones 6), Soares 8, Tutte 7 (Sedgwick 6), Mayor 6; Nardiello 7 (Lowe 66).

Not used: Jim McNulty, Rose, O'Brien, Lainton.

LUTON TOWN: Justham; Harryman, Steve McNulty, Wilkinson, Griffiths; Smith, Guttridge, McGeehan, Howells (Lawless 46), Stockley (Cullen 59), Lee (Oduwa 46).

Not used: Franks, Drury, Whalley, King.

Goals: Bury 1 (Soares 9) Luton Town 0.

Yellow cards: Bury – Lowe 90+1. Luton Town – Cullen 73.

Referee: Scott Duncan.

Attendance: 2,915 (328 visiting).

Star man: Nick Pope – The Bury goalkeeper was a mere bystander for much of this contest, but he kept his focus to pull out three saves from the very top drawer. The first came on the stroke of half time when he stretched every sinew to get the faintest of touches to Luke Guttridge’s shot to turn it around the post. And his block from the same player denied what looked like a certain goal in the second half before pulling off another superb stop from Cameron McGeehan at the death. Add to that some brave takes in a nervy finale and the keeper did more than enough to deserve a third straight clean sheet.