BURY slumped to their third straight defeat and first at home in the league since the opening day of the season after Newport striker Aaron O’Connor put them to the sword with a hat-trick.

O’Connor was put through for the opening goal in only the third minute after a mix-up between Bury captain Jim McNulty and Tom Soares on the edge of the D.

The Newport forward then helped himself to a second goal two minutes before the break after the ball fell to his feet when an attempted clearance from Shakers stopper Scott Loach hit debutant defender Hayden White.

Bury improved in the second half to put the visitors under real pressure, which finally told in the 62nd minute when Danny Rose placed a 25-yard shot into the bottom corner for his eighth goal of the season.

But David Flitcroft’s men were unable to force an equaliser and O’Connor finished off their hopes of a comeback on the break in stoppage time.

The performance, which ended a run of seven straight league victories on home turf, was rewarded by boos from the Shakers supporters at the final whistle as Bury dropped a place to seventh in the League Two table.

BURY: Loach; Cameron, McNulty, Hussey; White (Thompson 87), Etuhu, Soares, Mayor; Adams; Lowe (Nardiello 57), Rose.

Subs: Lainton, Tutte, Sedgwick, O'Brien, Duffus.

NEWPORT: Day; Yakubu, Hughes, Jones; Obeng (Jackson 76), Porter, Klukowski, Minshull (Byrne 71), Sandell; O'Connor, Zebroski.

Subs: Pidgeley, Feeley, Chapman, Jeffers, Pigott.

Referee: Carl Boyeson.

Attendance: 3,166 (160 visiting).