Bury's best players need more help - Blackwell (From Bury Times)

Bury's best players need more help - Blackwell

7:59pm Sunday 7th October 2012 in Sport By Craig Nelson

KEVIN Blackwell has vowed to right the wrongs of the summer by bringing in the quality of players he believes the squad needs to move Bury on to the next level.

The new manager was damning of the standard of signings made in the close season after the Shakers suffered the worst possible start to his first home game in charge.

Swindon striker James Collins scored a fluke opener inside the opening 30 seconds – his cross-shot deceiving Trevor Carson to fly into the top corner.

And, while Bury did not capitulate – as they had done in their last home match against MK Dons – they failed to muster a single shot on target in what was their fourth consecutive defeat at Gigg Lane.

The result left them six points from safety at the foot of League One and still searching for their first win of the campaign.

“I said to the players ‘you can go home and take a good look at yourself because I’m not going to accept it’,” said Blackwell.

“And I’ve just said to the board we need to change players and some players will have to come in.

“Some of the players in there are good players and they need some help. I think that we as a club, with some of the poor signings or the wrong type of signings, have let them down.

“But I think certain players will actually improve if I can get better players around them.” Blackwell moved quickly in his first week in charge to bolster his defence and new signing Matt Doherty enjoyed a decent start to his loan spell at Gigg Lane.

The 20-year-old Wolves defender started at right-back in place of Andrai Jones and made a brave block from Federico Bessone to deny Swindon a second goal late in the first half.

The Bury manager will now presumably turn his thoughts to improving his side’s attacking potential.

David Healy had the Shakers’ best opportunity in the 10th minute, but he dwelt on his shot long enough for Jay McEveley to charge it down.

Bury applied plenty of pressure in the remainder of the half, but, other than a series of dangerous corners that Swindon struggled to clear, they failed to ask any serious questions and ran out of steam and ideas after the break.

Swindon could have gone on to score more, but substitute Adam Rooney wasted a hat-trick of chances and had one effort blocked on the line by Shakers centre-back Mark Hughes.

Blackwell’s options to change the game from the bench were limited, with David Worrall missing with tonsillitis and Andy Bishop waiting on international clearance to return early from his loan spell at Wrexham.

But the Bury boss was at least happy with the spirit his side showed to keep going.

“What I’ve seen is a real tenacity from the players not to give in and, at 1-0 down after 30 seconds, they easily could have caved in but they didn’t. They created some chances but were not good enough – we didn’t work their goalkeeper enough. But if they show me that attitude and commitment and we can help them by signing one or two good players then I’m confident we will be okay.”