THE upwardly-mobile Shakers came crashing down to earth with a bump against Danny Wilson’s promotion-chasing Sheffield United side.

Richie Barker’s men have been punching above their weight and were justified in looking up the League One table, rather than down, but – by the Bury manager’s own admission – any hope of competing with far richer clubs such as the Blades is almost impossible.

Second-half goals from Richard Cresswell, Ched Evans and Lee Williamson consigned the Shakers to defeat, but by no means disgrace.

But Barker was in no mood to make excuses after his men edged a scoreless first half before succumbing to the abundance in class in the United side who made sure of a happy return to the club where Wilson spent three years as a young midfielder between 1977 and 1980.

The Bury manager’s cause was not helped when the match officials allowed Cresswell’s 53rd-minute opener to stand. Both benches agreed the striker was three yards offside when he received Kevin McDonald’s raking pass before planting the ball past Cameron Belford to send the 3,738 travelling fans into raptures.

That gave the South Yorkshire side the platform they needed to go on and win comfortably.

“I don’t want to make excuses, but it’s hard enough, without coming up against squads like that,” Barker said of the Sheffield club, which boasts one player earning what the entire Bury squad gets.

“It’s one of the biggest financial dfferences in football – including the Premier League – when you look at what United have available to them, and us.

“To compete with Sheffield United – and I know I’ll get stick for saying this – is near on impossible.”

But compete they did in an opening period which saw David Amoo’s fierce 29th-minute strike parried by Blades goalkeeper Steve Simonsen before Andy Bishop, chasing the follow-up, was denied by a brilliant tackle from left-back Lescinel Jean-Francois.

A minute before the interval, Amoo rose to meet Peter Sweeney’s corner, but he planted his effort high of the target and Bury’s best chance of the game was gone.

There was an air of inevitability about Cresswell’s opener when it came, but that did not assuage Barker’s anger at the officials.

“Cresswell was three yards offside and it was Danny who told me,” he said. “At the end of the day, he’s happy with the goal, but when I spoke to him in the tunnel after the game, we were of the same opinion.

“I won’t say too much because, the way things are at (the Football Association) headquarters, I will end up with a letter.

“But I will make my opinions known to the officials and the assessor. If the first goal has come from an official not being able to keep up with play, then we have a bit of an issue.”

It was no surprise when Evans doubled the advantage in the 62nd minute with a thunderous shot which beat Belford at his near post following another McDonald assist.

Williamson’s third was a sweetly-struck left-foot shot after he made room for himself just inside the Bury penalty area 10 minutes from time and, credit to the Bury fans, it even had them applauding.

BURY: Belford 6, Picken 6, Sodje 6, Hughes 6, Skarz 7, Schumacher 6, Carrington 7 (Coke 6) , Sweeney 7, Amoo 6 (Shaun Harrad 6), Bishop 7, Worrall 7 (John-Lewis 6).

Subs not used: Richie Branagan, Ashley Eastham.

SHEFFIELD UNITED: Somonsen 6, Lowton 7, Maguire 7, Collins 7, Jean-Francois 7, Williamson 7, Doyle 7, McDonald 8, Quinn 7 (Williams 6), Cresswell 7 (Porter 6), Evans 7 (Beattie 6).

Subs not used: George Long, Nick Montgomery.

Referee: Nigel Miller.

Attendance: 6,970 (3,738 visiting).