Bury 0 Exeter City 1

6:19pm Saturday 11th October 2008

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BURY'S nine-match unbeaten start to the season came to an abrupt end when Exeter staged a classic smash and grab raid at Gigg Lane.

Richard Logan's sixth minute goal was enough to give the Grecians the three points and leave Bury manager Alan Knill at a loss to how his dominant side couldn't force at least a draw.

The home side had at least a dozen efforts on goal, and Knill said: “We had plenty of chances, but the final killer touch wasn't there for us.

“They scored the goal, and for the rest of the game they never really come out of their half but we have to learn to deal with that. We played pretty well and moved the ball around the pitch, but sometimes you have days like this. We just didn't want to have it at home.

“I thought we played pretty well, and I think the key was not to concede. We gave them something to hold on to after seven minutes and they did that.”

Logan scored with the first real chance of the game, converting Adam Stansfield's flick-on after tricky winger Jack Oberstellar had crossed from the left.

That was about as good as it got for the visitors going forward, and once Bury got into their stride they did everything but score against resilient City.

Elliott Bennett had one of his best games of the season on the right flank, and had six shots on target that, on another day, would have brought him at least one goal.

The on-loan Wolves ace gave Exeter left-back Matt Taylor a torrid time, and his partner in crime on the right flank, Michael Jones, turned in another display from the top drawer.

Jones saw a header from Bennett's cross easily dealt with in the 20th minute, before Dave Buchanan's 20-yard effort went inches wide four minutes later.

Ryan Harley and Matt Gill saw decent opportunities come to nothing for Exeter, before Bennett saw a 25-yard shot tipped wide by Paul Jones minutes before half-time.

Bennett and Brian Barry-Murphy tried their luck from distance again in the second-half, and prolific marksman Andy Bishop nearly conjured a goal in the 76th minute.

Efe Sodje won the ball on the halfway line with a typically full blooded challenge, he fed Richie Baker who passed to Bishop on the edge of the box. The Bury striker turned his marker and fired in a low shot which Jones did fantastically well to tip around the post.

Bury were laying siege to the Exeter goal, and Glynn Hurst headed over another Jones free-kick before Bishop was inches away from rescuing a point once more.

Bennett had split the Exeter defence with a clever pass and Bishop found himself unmarked in the area. He shot across goal, and Hurst was inches away from sliding it into the back of an unguarded net.

However, it was one of those days and Bury have to bounce back quickly from the disappointment when they visit Dagenham and Redbridge on Saturday.

BURY (4-4-2): Brown 6, Scott 7, Futcher 7 (Cresswell 6, 87), Sodje 7, Buchanan 7, Bennett 8, Dawson 6 (Baker 6, 69), Barry-Murphy 7, Jones 7, Morrell 7 (Hurst 6, 69), Bishop 7. Subs not used: Racchi, Belford.

EXETER (4-3-3): Jones 7, Tully 7, Seabourne 7, Moxey 7, Taylor 5, Harley 6, Gill 6, Edwards 7, Logan 6 (Sercombe 6, 66), Obersteller 7 (Cozic 6, 77), Stansfield 6 (Watson 6, 87). Subs not used: Marriott, Murray.

Referee: Mark Haywood (West Yorks)

Attendance: 3,220 (301 from Exeter)