BURY cut the gap to the automatic promotion places to just four points following a comfortable victory at relegation-threatened Cambridge United.

A goal in each half for captain Nathan Cameron and Tom Soares were enough to secure the fourth-placed Shakers a fifth straight away win.

And with third-placed Wycombe Wanderers suffering a shock defeat at home to Oxford, David Flitcroft’s side, who have a game in hand, heaped on the pressure after continuing a fine run that has seen them pick up 24 points from a possible 27.

The home side, who remain five points above the drop zone, started brightly with a couple of decent efforts on the Bury goal in the opening stages.

Shakers stopper Nick Pope produced a superb flying fingertip save to push a 25-yard strike from Ryan Donaldson over the bar in the second minute.

And the lively Tom Elliot headed a Harrison Dunk cross just wide moments later.

But Bury did not take long to get into their stride, with home keeper Chris Dunn turning away a Chris Hussey free kick at full stretch in the 10th minute.

Dunn was on hand again to get his body behind an angled Tom Soares drive before the visitors opened the scoring in the 23rd minute.

Cameron was left unmarked in the box after Cambridge half-cleared a Hussey corner and the defender showed great touch to chest down Andrew Tutte’s clever floated cross before calmly slotting his fifth goal of the season into the bottom corner.

The relegation-threatened home side looked ready to wilt after going behind, but Dunn kept them in it with a fine save to deny Ryan Lowe. The veteran Bury striker then had a shot deflected narrowly over.

Cambridge steadied themselves, though, and a battling display from left-back Dunk raised the mood in the Abbey Stadium. The full-back’s cross offered a good chance for Elliott to head the home side back on level terms just before the break but he blazed his effort over.

Any dreams of a recovery were effectively snuffed out seven minutes after the break when Tom Soares charged into the box to stroke a neat Danny Mayor pass into the bottom corner from 10 yards.

Mayor, revelling in an attacking role behind the front two, seized upon a mistake by Cambridge midfielder Tom Champion on the edge of his own box, before expertly picking out the run of his midfield partner. Bury effectively shut up shop after going two goals in front, with Chris Sedgwick adding a calm head in midfield after replacing veteran frontman Ryan Lowe.

Sullay Kaikai tried his best to force a way back into the game for the home side, firing in two strong shots on the Bury goal that Pope did well to fend away.

But Richard Money’s battlers could not enliven a crowd of almost 5,500. The 566 travelling Shakers supporters had plenty to shout about but there was some concern in the closing stages as defender Adam El-Abd was carried off with a leg injury.

He must now be a doubt for Monday’s visit of Morecambe on Monday, when Wycombe take on leaders Burton knowing any slip-up could see Flitcroft’s buoyant side close the gap back to just one point.