BURY'S brilliant FA Cup run has come to an end at the fourth-round stage after falling to a 3-1 defeat at home to Championship leaders Hull City.

Tigers striker Chuba Akpom netted a hat-trick as Bury struggled to cope with the clinical finishing of the on-loan Premier League front man.

Craig Jones pulled a goal back four minutes from time but it proved to be only a consolation.

David Flitcroft made three changes from the goalless stalemate against Crewe in midweek.

Star striker Leon Clarke was ruled out with an illness and John O'Sullivan was cup tied, while Peter Clarke dropped to the bench.

Skipper Nathan Cameron returned to the heart of the defence to partner Reece Brown.

Danny Mayor returned to the team after recovering from a chest infection and Danny Rose made his first start in more than a month.

Hull made 11 changes from their 1-0 victory over Fulham last week but still named nine players with Premier League experience in their starting XI.

However, the visitors did hand a debut to 16-year-old left-back Josh Tymon.

It was the Shakers who started on the front foot as the lively Mayor beat three men, played a one-two with Tom Pope, and played in Rose but his effort was saved by the feet of Eldin Jakupovic.

Bury, roared on by 4,300 home fans at Gigg Lane in an attendance of 7,064, were dealt a bitter blow in the 11th minute when in-form midfielder Kelvin Etuhu was forced off through injury and replaced by Joe Riley.

And a minute later the visitors took the lead, completely against the run of play.

David Meyler was played through on goal and Ian Lawlor, who had not conceded a goal in over 350 minutes, saved bravely at the midfielder's feet, but the ball fell kindly to Akpom who struck the opener into the empty net.

The hosts showed great character to continue dominating possession but could have fallen further behind when Meyler headed Ryan Taylor's corner goalwards but Rose cleared the ball off the line.

On the stroke of half time, Pope came within an inch of connecting with Chris Hussey's corner and sending the Shakers into the break level.

Rose had a big penalty claim turned down five minutes after the restart when he was seemingly punched in the face by Jakupovic when challenging for the ball in the air.

Flitcroft rolled the dice in the 51st minute with a double substitution, bringing on Ryan Lowe and Jones for Rose and Andrew Tutte.

And the hosts thought they had leveled when Lowe turned Mayor's cross over the line with his first touch of the game but it was ruled out for offside.

Straight from the resulting free-kick Hull launched a counter-attack which resulted in Sone Aluko breaking down the right and he was tripped by Hussey.

The referee had no hesitation in pointing straight to the spot. Akpom stepped up to send Lawlor the wrong way.

The on-loan Arsenal forward completed his hat-trick with aplomb in the 69th minute, cutting in from the left before curling an effort into the top right corner.

When it looked like Bury may collapse they did the exact opposite and fathomed a couple of chances to restore some pride.

Both opportunities fell to fans-favourite Lowe, who blasted the first, a shot from the edge of the box, straight at the goalkeeper before heading the second, a free header, over the bar from six yards.

Jones netted a late consolation, turning Mayor's cross over the line four minutes from time to resore a little pride, but it proved too little, too late as Hull progressed to the fifth round.