Bury 2 Barnet 0 (From Bury Times)

Bury 2 Barnet 0

7:17pm Saturday 5th December 2009

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ALAN Knill has told his team to forget all about the play-offs – and shoot for top spot.

Goals at the end of each half from Daniel Nardiello and David Worrall were enough to get the Shakers back to winning ways and on the verge of the top seven against Barnet on Saturday.

It was an efficient display by Bury, on the back of last week's disappointing 3-0 defeat at Morecambe, and Knill has urged his players to keep their foot on the gas.

“I think it's a good chance for us to do something this season,” said Knill. “I've been asked if we are trying to get into the play-offs – and we're not. We want to win the league.

“Nobody has run away with it yet and while we are in the mix we will try and win it.

“If we continue to play as well as we are, and bounce back from every setback, we will have a good chance.

“But there is a long way to go and all we are doing is trying to get into a good position.

“If we are in there after Christmas, like the other teams around us, we will be thinking we have a good chance.”

The game struggled to spark into life in the opening stages and while Andy Morrell and Nardiello both registered shots on target, neither really tested Bees keeper Jake Cole.

The strike pair, however, combined to turn the game on its head on the stroke of half-time when Morrell was brought down in the box by Mark Hughes and Nardiello stepped up to score his third goal since moving to Gigg Lane on loan.

It took until 53 minutes before Barnet created their only real goalscoring chance of the match, which saw striker John O'Flynn flash a shot across goal.

Stephen Dawson and Morrell both sent shots into the stand before another loan ranger, Worrall, settled any nerves with Bury's second eight minutes from time.

The West Brom teenager was rewarded for his persistence when he closed down and lifted the ball over the goalkeeper, before heading into an unguarded net.

It set the seal on a solid performance from the Shakers, while the Bees' miserable afternoon was complete when Hughes was sent-off for a second yellow card in injury time.

Knill, who takes his team to Dagenham and Redbridge next weekend, concluded: “I thought we played very well in difficult conditions.

“We created opportunities and, when we had the chance to pass it around, we looked dangerous.

“At the other end we had decent shape and they didn't cause us too many problems.”

BURY: Brown 6, Buchanan 7, Sodje 8, Futcher 7, Newey 7, Racchi 7 (Baker 6, 71), Stephen Dawson 7, Barry-Murphy 8, Worrall 8, Nardiello 7 (Lowe 6, 69), Morrell 8. Subs not used: Scott, Belford, Adam Dawson, McCartney.

BARNET: Cole 6, Gillett 7, Hughes 6, Yakubu 6, Adomah 7 (Furlong 6, 76), Deverdics 6, O'Flynn 7, Micah Hyde 6, Jarrett 6 (Bolasie 6, 72), Deen 6, McAllister 6 (Jake Hyde 6, 72). Subs not used: Hart, Charles, Leach, Carpenter.

Attendance: 2,511 (84 Barnet fans)

Referee: Mr M Oliver (Northumberland)

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