Bradford City 0 Bury 1 (From Bury Times)

Bradford City 0 Bury 1

7:45pm Saturday 6th February 2010

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ALAN Knill believes solid defensive foundations are the key to his side's stunning recent form.

Andy Morrell's second-half strike helped the Shakers to their fifth successive victory – but it was his team's third clean sheet in a row that particularly pleased the Bury manager.

The Gigg Laners have become miserly at the back after some indifferent defensive displays and, coupled with their immense striking options at the other end of the pitch, it all bodes well for the rest of the campaign.

“It was another fantastic performance from the players,” said a delighted Knill. “That's three clean sheets on the trot now.

“We wanted to stop the goals against and we have done that. Even though we did well in the first half of the season, quite a few times we gave the opposition a chance or a lifeline and were playing catch-up.

“At the moment we look solid as a team and that gives us a foundation when we do get the ball to go and play.”

The defeat could spell the end of Stuart McCall's reign as Bradford manager on Monday but Bury did not have it all their own way at Valley Parade.

Their goal led a charmed life at times and it is to their credit that they held firm against a Bantams attack roared on by more than vociferous 11,000 supporters.

It was backs to the wall stuff at the end but, as Knill rightly pointed out in his post-match interviews, Bury have earned their bit of luck through sheer hard work and a will-to-win that is second-to-none.

This was a match both sides needed points from for differing reasons.

Bradford's stuttering season was badly in need of a boost while Bury were hoping to build on last week's morale-boosting victory over table-topping Rochdale.

The home side boldly included three strikers in their starting line-up and the move nearly paid dividends in the opening three minutes when the trio, Gareth Evans, Michael Boulding and James Hanson, combined before the latter saw a powerful shot beaten away by Bury keeper Wayne Brown.

That was about as good as it got in a closely-fought first half where chances were at a premium.

Both sides knew they needed to up the ante if they wanted the points and an enthralling second half followed.

First Michael Flynn blazed over for the Bantams before the Shakers went into the lead after 52 minutes.

Michael Jones saw a shot blocked by keeper Matthew Glennon and the predatory Andy Morrell was on hand to stroke home the rebound from ten yards out.

McCall threw on Peter Thorne in an attempt to get his side back into the game and the veteran marksman should have done better on a couple of occasions.

With his first touch of the game his weak effort was easily dealt with by Brown and then he fired straight at the Bury keeper after he was picked out unmarked in the area by Matthew Clarke.

Bradford continued to apply the pressure and Gareth Evans forced a fine save when he was teed up by Zesh Rehman.

It was like the Alamo in the final stages and Luke O'Brien nearly capitalised on a mistake by the otherwise impressive Brian Barry-Murphy, but his shot whistled just over the bar, before Clarke saw a header go agonisingly wide of the post deep into stoppage time.

But Bury held on to extend their fine run of form to just two defeats in 21 games.

They welcome former director of football Keith Alexander and his Macclesfield team to Gigg Lane on Tuesday night and it would take a brave man to bet against them consolidating their place in the top three at the expense of the Silkmen.

BRADFORD: Glennon 6, Ramsden 7, O'Brien 7, Flynn 7, Rehman 7, Clarke 8, Daley 7 (Thorne 6, 64), Bullock 6 (O'Leary 6, 68), Evans 7, Boulding 7, Hanson 7. Subs not used: McLaughlin, Brandon, Williams, Bateson, Neilson.

BURY: Brown 8, Scott 7, Futcher 8, Sodje 8, Newey 7, Worrall 8, Dawson 8, Barry-Murphy 8, Jones 7 (Hewson 6, 80), Lowe 7 (Cresswell 6, 90), Morrell 8 (Bishop 6, 87). Subs not used: Belford, Baker, Racchi, Allen.

Attendance: 11,965 (723 Bury fans)

Referee: Rob Shoebridge

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