DAVID Flitcroft insisted rhere is still plenty to play for after Bury fell to a narrow 1-0 defeat at home to play-off chasing Gillingham on Monday.

In a game where little separated the two sides, Luke Norris fired home midway through the first period to condemn the Shakers to their first home defeat in more than two months.

Danny Rose came closest for the hosts but his effort was well held by Stuart Nelson.

The defeat leaves Bury with only one win in their last eight games, but the manager is not worried about the drop in form and insists the season is not petering out after all-but securing their League One status after hitting the 50-point mark.

“It (our form) doesn’t worry me,” Flitcroft said. “We have turned a corner from where we were. We are more resolute than where we were.

“I was worried after the Coventry result but we have sort of recovered well.

“There is an energy about the team. They are trying to do the right things. While that’s the case we will be okay but there is no petering out.

“The players are giving it all they have.”

Norris’ strike was the only difference during a tight battle at Gigg Lane and Flitcroft was unhappy with the defending that led to the goal.

He said: “When they went 1-0 up, and it was a poor goal that we conceded, a real sloppy goal, we had opportunities to clear it.

“Once they went 1-0 up they made it very difficult for us to get some fluidity in the game, even though we did at times.

“We got it wide early, put some fantastic balls in but we just weren’t ruthless enough in both boxes.

“We looked good until the last third, we just looked a little bit toothless in the last bit.

“The work between both boxes was good and quite precise at times – we created some good chances.

“I’m disappointed we have not scored with the chances we created but there are certainly positives to build on.

“It’s about getting three points, it’s what this game’s about and they got them so credit to them for that.”

Gillingham had not won away since Boxing Day and after pinball in the Bury penalty area, the hosts failed to clear and it fell at the feet of Norris, who drove into the corner from close-range in the 27th minute.

The Shakers were dealt a further blow when Danny Mayor withdrew from the action in the 29th minute with a hamstring injury, which adds to the news Andrew Tutte could be ruled out for up to four weeks with a similar problem.

The hosts had a couple of chances but Ryan Lowe lifted two volleys over the bar after evading his marker.

Ryan Jackson came closest to extending the visitors’ lead but Chris Neal was equal to his stinging effort as he produced a flying save to his left to tip the ball round the post.

Danny Rose had Bury’s only shot on target after a great run and pass from substitute Dan Gardner but the forward struck his shot straight at Nelson in the Gills’ goal.

The visitors attempted to slow the game down at every opportunity in a bid to stop the Shakers building any momentum late on.

The result was eight minutes of added time at the end of the second period, in which Bury threw everything they had at Gillingham but came up short.

But despite the large amount of added time, Flitcroft was not happy with the “gamesmanship” shown.

“There was a lot of gamesmanship,” he said. “Fair play to them, they got three points from it. I didn’t think they offered too much to the game going forward, but defensively they really stuck to their task.

“I think the referee could have managed the game better and quicker and maybe spoke to them a little bit.

“I don’t believe getting time added on at the end is the way forward. I think that when teams are coming to try and spoil and stop the fluidity of the game, you can manage it.”

Before the game commenced their was a verbal altercation between the Bury boss and former Shakers defender Adam El-Abd which was calmed by the Gills players.

But after the full-time whistle El-Abd saw red again after spotting a member of the Bury backroom staff on the touchline and had to be shepherded down the tunnel.

Speaking about the incident, Flitcroft played it down as pure gamesmanship.

He said: “It’s gamesmanship. One thing I’ll tell you about Adam El-Abd, he’s a born winner.

“He did brilliantly for us last season. He was just what we needed last season in getting us over the line and that’s him.”

“The guy’s a born winner. He has come here today to win and unfortunately he has got the three points.”

BURY (4-4-2): Neal 7, Riley 7, P. Clarke 6, Bolger 6, Hussey 7, O’Sullivan 6, Soares 6, Pugh 7 (Brown 82, 6), Mayor 6 (Gardner 29, 7), Delfouneso 5 (Rose 59, 6), Lowe 6.

Not used: Ruddy, Sedgwick, Burgess.

GILLINGHAM: (3-5-2): Nelson, Ehmer (Hessenthaler 90), El-Abd, Oshilaja, Jackson (Garmston 71), Morrison, Crofts, Wright, Dickenson, Samuel, Norris (Donnelly 75).

Not used: Morris, McDonald, McGlasham, Osaoabe.

Goals: Bury 0. Gillingham 1 – Morris 27.

Cards: Bury – P. Clarke 81. Gillingham – Norris 57, Oshilaja 78, Wright 90, El-Abd 90.

Referee: Oliver Langford (West Midlands).

Attendance: 2,907 (291 visiting).

STAR MAN: Danny Pugh - Sitting in front of the back four Pugh provided superb cover by breaking down attack after attack. The 33-year-old used his wealth of experience to read the game brilliantly and also got the Shakers moving forwards with a good range of passing.