Barnet 1 Bury 2

10:37pm Sunday 21st September 2008

BURY celebrated their best start to a season for more than half a century when they came from behind to top League Two after a successful revenge mission at Underhill.

The Shakers’ unbeaten record was under threat after Albert Adomah's 49th-minute opener for Barnet – the last team to beat Bury in the league with a 3-0 victory back in April.

But Andy Bishop and Andy Morrell struck in the last 15 minutes to erase the memory of that nightmare trip as the sun shone on Alan Knill’s men.

It earned Bury their first win at Barnet and, more importantly, sent them to the league summit for the first time since winning the Division Two title in 1997.

And having won five and drawn two of their opening seven games, Knill has now steered the Shakers to their best league start for 60years.

And with the manager convinced the best is yet to come, the future certainly looks bright for the Gigg Lane side.

Barnet missed two great chances to double their lead but Bury probably deserved the three points after dominating the first half.

“It’s great for us to get a win here, especially with us going a goal down and not playing very well,” Knill said. “First half we had chances to put the game out of sight but second half they did too, and if they had gone 2-0 up I think that would have been game over.

“But we know we can score and we did, and we were delighted to come back.”

Bury threatened as early as the third minute with home keeper Lee Harrison having to turn Morrell's header round the post from a David Buchanan cross.

Moments later midfielder Brian Barry-Murphy lashed a 20-yard volley narrowly wide, before Barnet's Cliff Akurang was booked for an ugly challenge which left Ben Futcher needing lengthy treatment.

Futcher recovered and the Shakers remained on top, with Harrison tipping over Bishop’s looping header from another Buchanan cross.

Barnet finally responded and almost opened the scoring in the 28th minute. Adomah outpaced Futcher down the right, his cut-back was back-heeled goalwards by Akurang and Wayne Brown did well to keep the ball out.

Bury regained the ascendancy with Stephen Dawson’s low drive forcing a fine save from Harrison before Shakers skipper Paul Scott was denied from their sixth corner of the half.

Bury lost Efe Sodje with a twisted ankle just a minute after the restart and Barnet took advantage. Sodje’s replacement, Ryan Cresswell, failed to deal with a hopeful ball forward and Adomah scored from the edge of the box.

Akurang then directed a free header at Brown while Adam Birchall scuffed a close-range effort straight at the Bury keeper.

Those misses proved costly as Mike Jones and Elliott Bennett combined to release Bishop in the right and the Shakers striker coolly slotted his 50th goal for the club.

Dawson then squared to Morrell eight minutes from time and his close-range effort was deflected past the hapless Harrison by Ismail Yakubu to set up a mouth-watering clash next week against Wycombe, who the Shakers lead on goal difference.

“The more games we play, the better we'll get,” said Knill. “Watching that, we’re definitely not the finished article. But it’s a real good run and now we look forward to the home game against Wycombe.”

BARNET: Harrison 8; Carew 6, Yakubu 6, Devera 6, Gillet 7; Adomah 7, Bishop 6, Deverdics 7 (Leary 83), Nicolau 6; Akurang 7 (Charles 80), Birchall 6 (O'Flynn 80). Subs: Porter, Beckwith.

BURY: Brown 8; Scott 7, Futcher 7, Sodje 7 (Cresswell 47, 7), Buchanan 8; Bennett 8, Dawson 7, Barry-Murphy 7, Jones 8; Bishop 8, Morrell 7. Subs: Haslam, Baker, Racchi, Belford.

Referee: Simon Hooper (Swindon).

Attendance: 1,995 (325 Bury).