DANNY Rose, Craig Jones and Ryan Lowe weighed in with a goal apiece as Bury sent managerless Carlisle to the bottom of League Two and moved into the automatic promotion places for the first time this season.

Each goal was significant in its own way, with Rose claiming his fifth in six matches and Lowe coming off the bench to claim his 50th league strike in Bury colours and first since moving back to the club for a second stint in the summer.

But it was Jones’s finish for Bury’s second goal, after spurning a host of chances in the opening 45 minutes, that most pleased manager David Flitcroft.

“I wouldn’t have been embarrassed if it was five or six nil, I really wouldn’t,” said the Shakers boss.

“I think Jones should have had a hat-trick today, quite easily, but his bravery in keep getting in and keep threatening that back line was quite incredible.

“When he got in in the end, I expected him to just lift it over, but he said he just closed his eyes and smashed it.

“It was a brave performance.”

Flitcroft’s tongue in cheek remark followed three skied efforts from Jones before he finally hit the target.

The first, after only five minutes, followed a Nicky Adams pull-back which the right-sided defender struck over with his left foot after the ball reached him unmarked near the penalty spot.

Jones was put in 10 minutes later, this time via a raking ball over the top from Kelvin Etuhu, but he rushed his shot, firing over on the volley from well outside the box.

Carlisle keeper Mark Gillespie then parried an Adams curler to the Welshman’s feet in the 38th minute but he was unable to control the chance from six yards and the ball again ballooned over the bar.

Rose showed Jones the way to goal three minutes after the break, opening the scoring with a brave header from a high Adams cross into the box which he reached before Gillespie could get a hand to it.

Bury’s opener seemed to shatter Carlisle’s brittle confidence. But Jones showed great mental fortitude to continue bombing forward and his positive attitude was rewarded in the 58th minute when Rose slipped him in behind the home side’s defence with a clever ball that he stroked past Gillespie at the near post.

And a perfect day for Flitcroft’s side was capped by Lowe’s landmark strike 10 minutes from time, which he made himself following a strong run to the edge of the box before placing the ball into the top corner.

The comfortable victory moved Bury to third place in the table on goal difference and left Carlisle facing another relegation scrap after dropping down from League One last season.

CARLISLE: Gillespie; Symington, O'Hanlon, Archibald-Henville (Amoo 71), Grainger, Brough; Sweeney, Potts; Dempsey (Marriott 76), Elliott (Beck 65), Gillies. Not used: Thirlwell, Hanford, Rigg, Douglas.

BURY: Lainton 7; Cameron 7, Mills 7, McNulty 7; Jones 8, Etuhu 7, Tutte 6 (Lowe 7 53), Soares 7; Adams 9 (Holmes 6 79), Rose 8 (Nardiello 6 68), Mayor 7. Not used: Jalal, Hussey, Sedgwick, Platt.

Goals: Carlisle United 0 Bury 3 (Rose 48, Jones 58, Lowe 80).

Yellow cards: Carlisle United – Troy Archibald-Henville 62.

Referee: Mark Brown

Attendance: 3,975 (468 visiting).

Star man: Nicky Adams – The summer signing responded to being dropped for the last match at Wycombe with a lively display just behind striker Danny Rose. Adams was the main supply line, throughout the first half especially, as he found acres of space in between the Carlisle lines. He set up two gilt-edged chances for Craig Jones before finally crossing for Rose to open the scoring and showed he is possibly best suited to a free role, rather than restricted to the wings.