DAVID Flitcroft dedicated Bury's 1-0 win on Saturday to the 269 Shakers supporters made the 346-mile round trip to Swindon.

With only one win in 14 on the road the travelling Bury contingent were given their just rewards when Danny Mayor headed in the only goal of the game midway through the second half.

Leon Clarke had spurned a glorious opportunity during the first period but after taking the lead the Shakers weathered a late Swindon storm that saw Michael Doughty and Jonathan Obika both strike the woodwork.

And with Bury now unbeaten in three games away from Gigg Lane following gritty draws at Blackpool and Burton Albion, Flitcroft was full of praise for the travelling support.

“It's a real significant three points,” Flitcroft said. “It's that win that I've wanted to give the supporters.

“It's hurt me and it's hurt the players that I've not been able to give them wins that they deserve so that's been a long time coming.

“We have definitely progressed with the Blackpool and Burton results and performances, but today to keep that clean sheet and that winning goal, it's meant a lot personally to me and hopefully to the supporters who have had it tough on their away travels.

“I have told this team and we had a meeting in the hotel in the morning about what it meant to our supporters.”

The win means that Bury have now recorded their highest points tally in League One for 19 years with 57 points.

And with four more games still to play, Flitcroft has his eyes set on his next target of 60 points.

He said: “I'd say we deserved that. Leon was unlucky in the first half not to score, and it was about us scoring the first goal.

“I really felt we had enough resolve and determination and application to go on and win the game once we got a goal up.

“The next target we are trying to race down is 60 points. We want to get to that as quickly as we can and then we will see what happens from there.”

The hosts had an excellent chance to open the scoring inside two minutes but former Shakers forward Nicky Ajose curled a 25-yard free-kick narrowly over.

The usually clinical Leon Clarke, who was given a torrid afternoon by the home supporters following a bust up with then-Swindon manager Paolo Di Canio during a spell at the County Ground, had a glorious chance to put the Shakers ahead when he met Craig Jones' cross but Jake Kean made a magnificent save to push the ball over the bar.

John O'Sullivan and Tom Soares both saw efforts flash across goal towards the end of the first period as Bury pressed for their first away win in almost three months.

On-loan goalkeeper Chris Neal was forced into a fine save down to his right in the 62nd minute to keep out Jonathan Obika's 20-yard effort.

And two minutes later the Shakers took the lead. Jones burst down the right and delivered a pin-point cross which an unmarked Mayor headed past the helpless Kean.

The Robins should have equalised in the 76th minute but the post came to Bury's rescue as Doughty crashed a volley against the upright.

Bury had the woodwork to thank once again in the dying minutes as Obika's thunderous drive cannoned back off the crossbar, much to the relief of Neal in the Shakers goal.

Swindon threw everything they had at Bury, including goalkeeper Kean, as they continued to bombard the visitor's box with a flurry crosses but the Shakers stood strong to grind out the three points.

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Match ratings

Saturday

League One

Bury (4-2-3-1): Neal 7; Jones 8, P Clarke 8, Bolger 7, Hussey 6; Soares 7, Etuhu 8; O'Sullivan 7 (Lowe 78, 6), Gardner 7 (Brown 71, 7), Mayor 8; L Clarke 7. Not used: Ruddy, Sedgwick, Rose, Pope, Clare.

Swindon (3-4-3): Kean; Branco, N Thompson, Turnbull; Barry, Doughty, L Thompson, Iandolo (Kasim 61); Brophy, Obika, Ajose. Not used: Henry, Sendles-White, Marshall, Robert, Hylton, Cooke.

Goals: Bury – Mayor 64.

Yellow cards: Swindon – Branco 52, N Thompson 59. Bury – Bolger 2, Mayor 15.

Referee: Darren Deadman (Cambridgeshire).

Attendance: 6,759 (269 visiting).

STAR MAN: Craig Jones – The makeshift right-back put in an exceptional performance to nullify the threat of James Brophy down the Swindon left. Out of contract at the end of the season, the 29-year-old is certainly staking a claim for a new deal. Jones's delivery from out wide was sublime and it was his cross that Danny Mayor converted for the winner.