DAVID Flitcroft paid tribute to his side’s resolute display at Colchester after they came through a second gruelling road trip in the space of five days to claim a seventh straight win.

Leon Clarke headed home his ninth goal of the season to settle a tight encounter between two of League One’s form sides.

But Bury had to dig deep to build on their win at Peterborough on Tuesday, with Rob Lainton making a string of fine saves to keep out a Us side that went into the game on the back of four straight victories.

Clarke then leapt highest at the back post to convert a Joe Riley cross on 75 minutes and take his tally to four goals in the last three games.

“These players have given everything they have got to get a clean sheet,” said Flitcroft.

“I said to them, get a clean sheet and our team scores goals. We have done all season, that’s 21 goals now, 26 with the cup games.

“So it was really important that we were resolute.

“Colchester are a dangerous team. They have scored in nearly every game they have played, and they have scored threes and fours.

“So to come here and put in a clean sheet, I see that, as a football person, what it has taken to stop this team scoring and I am absolutely over the moon with the win and the performance.”

Craig Jones shrugged off a knee injury to start but Jacob Mellis, who travelled with the team, was unable to play due to a hamstring strain, forcing Flitcroft to name only six substitutes.

The two sides passed and probed in a first half that was high on quality but low on goalmouth incidents.

Bury enjoyed some excellent periods of possession in the opening stages but only had a misguided header from Peter Clarke and a Hallam Hope shot, which he curled straight at Colchester keeper Jamie Jones, to show for their good approach play.

At the other end, the Shakers’ defence never let the Us in behind them, but Lainton was kept on his toes by a handful of shots from distance, including a screamer from Joe Edwards he turned behind at full stretch.

George Moncur also tested the Bury keeper with a couple of shots from inside the box, one smothered by Lainton and the other punched clear.

Flitcroft’s side came closest to breaking the deadlock before the break, however, after Chris Hussey’s free kick clipped the angle of post and bar on 42 minutes.

The home side upped their intensity in the second half and Lainton pulled off another flying save to palm away a stinging long-range strike from Marvin Sordell before diving at the feet of Moncur and then Sordell again to keep the scores level.

Flitcroft looked intent on securing the point when he put on holding midfielder Reece Brown in place of playmaker Danny Mayor in the 74th minute.

But a minute later Leon Clarke directed Riley’s searching centre back across goal and into the opposite corner.

Bury then soaked up the Colchester pressure in the final 10 minutes and never looked like giving up their lead as they stretched their unbeaten run of away games to 17 matches to move into third place in the table.

COLCHESTER UNITED (4-5-1): J Jones; Olufemi (Porter 87), Kent, Eastman, Briggs; Massey, Garvan, Moncur, Edwards (Gilbey 58), Harriott; Sordell.

Not used: Parish, Elokobi, Bonne, Sembie-Ferris, Ambrose.

BURY (4-2-3-1): Lainton 9; Riley 8, Cameron 8, P Clarke 9, Hussey 8; Soares 7, Pugh 7; Jones 7, Mayor 7 (Brown 6 75), Hope 6 (Pope 7 46); L Clarke 8.

Not used: Ruddy, Foulds, Sedgwick, Rose.

Scorers: Bury – L Clarke 75.

Yellow cards: Colchester United – Briggs 41. Bury – L Clarke 65.

Referee: Simon Hooper.

Attendance: 4,032 (274 visiting).

Star man: Rob Lainton – The Bury stopper kicked off their winning run in the league with a fantastic man-of-the-match display in a 1-0 victory at Walsall and his latest star turn at Colchester ended with the same result. His defence did well to keep the home side at arms’ length for the most part, but they couldn’t stop them testing Lainton from distance and he was more than up to the challenge. Flying saves in each half from Joe Edwards and Marvin Sordell were worthy of a clean sheet on their own and two brave blocks after the break ensured the Shakers finished the match in seven heaven.