BURY boss Chris Brass said he was "disgusted" with referee Rob Lewis for missing what he felt was a blatant handball in Monday's 3-1 defeat at home to League One leaders Sheffield United.

The match was finely poised at 1-1 in the second half when Scott Burgess's goalbound effort struck the hand of Blades defender Jake Wright in the box.

But Lewis waved away Bury claims for a penalty and Sheffield United took the lead moments later through a Kelvin Etuhu own goal before Kieron Freeman killed the game off with a late third for the high-flying visitors.

“We took them on and they’re a tough team to take on,” Brass said. “We went toe-to-toe with them and certainly first half we more than matched them.

“It was a key decision in the second half with Scott and I’m disgusted with the referee.

“We have the benefit of seeing it back very quickly and he’s stopped the ball going into the net with his hand and that to me is a penalty.

“Decisions happen and you have to get on with it but it’s frustrating that the score line does not reflect our performance.”

Jacob Mellis had earlier put the Shakers ahead with a stunning 25-yard drive on his return to the starting line-up following suspension.

Billy Sharp drew the Blades level before the break but Bury continued to hold their own, and they could easily have been celebrating a famous victory – ending a run of 19 matches without a win – had the referee seen 19-year-old Burgess's penalty appeal differently.

Burgess had another entertaining match in the Bury midfield, even winning a battle of wills with experienced team-mate James Vaughan.

The pair clashed midway through the first half over who should take a well-positioned free kick from 22 yards.

It was the teenager who won control of the dead ball but then drilled it into the wall.

Boss Brass said he was happy with the youngster's actions, but warned him to hit the target in future if he wants to continue on free-kick duty.

“We know who is going to take them in certain areas of the pitch but Vaughan has tried to flex his muscles, thinking he has a goalscoring opportunity.

“Fair play to him, he has listened and given Scott the chance to take it.

“Scott works hard on them in training but if he wants to keep on free kicks then he has to start hitting the target, so it’s up to him.”

Goalkeeper Ben Williams was recalled to the starting line up for the first time in four matches after being dropped in favour of the re-signed Rob Lainton.

But two games in three days was deemed too much for Lainton, who had not played for 15 months before his shock return to the Bury squad.

“Rob was a bit tight,” Brass revealed. “He has been out 15 months and unfortunately could not quite make the turn around with two games in such a short period.

“Ben has come in and done some good stuff so he's in there challenging now. There is competition everywhere in the squad, even in goal.”

Mellis gave Bury the perfect start after rifling a 25-yard shot into the top corner in only the 13th minute.

But the visitors were level eight minutes later after Sharp blasted home a superbly taken free kick by Freeman from close range.

United could easily have taken the lead moments later when 16-year-old Bury centre-back Jacob Bedeau gave the ball away cheaply, but Caolan Lavery was denied by Williams.

New signing Jack Mackreth showed glimpses of his pace and trickery down the right early on after being thrown in from the start.

The 24-year-old winger picked out front man Vaughan in the box at the beginning of the second half but the striker blasted the opportunity wide.

After the Blades' handball let-off, their luck was in at the opposite end when Lavery's cross ricocheted in off the leg of Etuhu in the 73rd minute.

And eight minutes from time Freeman wrapped up the game up with a tap in from Sharp’s square pass.

Vaughan did his best to end Bury's club-record winless run, rattling the underside of the crossbar with a late shot.

But despite their poor run they remain outside the relegation zone on goal difference after all of the bottom four clubs failed to win.

Bury (4-2-3-1): Williams 6; Soares 7, Kay 7, Bedeau 7, Leigh 7; Styles 7 (G Miller 79, 6), Etuhu 6; Burgess 7, Mellis 7 (Danns 65, 6), Mackreth 6 (Pope 79, 6); Vaughan 6.

Unused subs: Rachubka, Cooney, Dudley, Hope.

Sheffield United (3-5-2): Moore; O’Connell, Wright, Ebanks-Landell; Freeman, Fleck, Basham, Scougall (Duffy 54), Lafferty (Coutts 80); Lavery, Sharp (Done 90).

Unused subs: Ramsdale, McNulty, Brown, Wilson.

Referee: Rob Lewis (Shrewsbury).