DESPITE being on the end of a 3-0 humbling at Peterborough United on Saturday, bullish boss Chris Lucketti claimed Bury were by far the better side.

A Danny Lloyd double and a Jack Marriott header condemned the Shakers to a heavy defeat but manager Lucketti reckoned his players produced the better performance.

There proved to be precious little tangible reward for Bury, who had Eoghan O’Connell sent off for two yellow cards in as many minutes, a moment the Gigg Lane chief felt contributed to his team’s second successive defeat in League One.

“I'm disappointed with the result – really disappointed,” said Lucketti.

“I thought we were by far the better team because we created by far the better chances, and more of them than Peterborough as well.

“We just weren't ruthless enough in front of goal.

“I’m positive in the way we played but the sending-off was the turning point because we were on top.

“But you don't get plaudits for being the better side – we lost 3-0.”

Although he was largely keen to focus on the positives, Lucketti was perturbed by Bury’s poor away form.

He added: “There is a softness and a slackness going through the club at this moment in time and it has been there for 12 to 18 months.

“If you look at our away form, you need a certain mentality to win away from home but it’s very apparent in the club at the moment there isn’t that ruthlessness to get the points, especially away from home.

“But with the position we are in, we can’t just rely on getting points at home. We have to be getting them from everywhere possible.”

The writing was on the wall as early as the second minute as Peterborough’s Marcus Maddison swung over the corner and an unmarked Lloyd nodded into the net from close range.

The visitors rallied and Jay O’Shea fired inches over the crossbar from distance in the fifth minute before Danny Mayor forced a fine save from Jonathan Bond.

Late in the first half, Rohan Ince picked the ball up 35 yards from goal before unleashing a dipping hit, which was somehow tipped over the bar by the outstanding Bond.

Bury poured forward after the break and momentarily didn’t look like a side rooted to the foot of the division.

O’Shea’s low strike hit the outside of the post but the turning point came in the 56th minute when, with Bury on top, two yellow cards in as many minutes saw O’Connell deservedly dismissed.

The Posh looked to take full advantage with Marriott’s fierce drive flying narrowly wide.

Peterborough’s top scorer was not to be denied four minutes later when winger Maddison injected a touch of class with a wonderful cross and Marriott, as so often this season, was in the right place at the right time to nod the ball home at the near post.

And if there was any hope of the Shakers mounting a fightback it was killed off on 70 minutes as Lloyd, in space 30 yards out, unleashed a sublime shot into the top corner.