FANS’ favourite Ryan Lowe did not disappoint in his final game for Bury, drawing fulsome praise from manager David Flitcroft as he bowed out with a match-winning display.

On an afternoon dubbed “Ryan Lowe Day” by the club after it was revealed the striker would not be taking up the offer of a new one-year contract, Flitcroft admitted the 37-year-old striker was irreplaceable.

He had a hand in all three of Bury's goals as they twice came from behind against Southend in what was an emotional finale to the League One season.

It was Roy of the Rovers stuff as, with the stage set for the Liverpudlian forward, he helped Bury win a penalty in the third minute of time added on then stepped up to fire home the spot kick, wrapping up the three points with his final kick in a Shakers shirt.

“You can't replace him,” Flitcroft said after the game. “He's a player and a person that is not just respected but is loved by the supporters and the football club.

“The respect I have for Ryan Lowe is absolutely enormous. I brought him to the club for one reason, to be successful and he has been able to give us that over the two years that he's been with us.

“You can't write it – (scoring the winner in the) 93rd minute – and you knew.

"He's the ultimate professional and you just knew when he got the penalty who was going to take it and where he was going to put it – the keeper probably knew.

“The calmness, to get the amount of goals he has got, you have got to have that ice inside you when you are going to try and take that shot or opportunity.

“In a red hot atmosphere he's just calm and concise and slotted it away dead easy."

Southend boss Phil Brown was left fuming at the late penalty and claimed the assistant who flagged for the handball should be “struck off".

But Flitcroft thought the win was nothing more than his side deserved, although he admitted Bury must improve defensively if they are to make progress next season.

He said: “You will hear about the referee losing this game for Southend, but we totally dominated from start to finish.

“We didn't deal with the balls in the box, long throws and direct balls in the box, we didn't deal with that too well. The goals were poor.

“We are not going to concede as many goals next season as we have done this season or it will be a real failure next season.

"We are going to put that right.”

Bury moved the ball with confidence early on but fell behind when Moussa fired in from the edge of the box with only eight minutes on the clock.

The hosts drew level in the 21st minute when Lowe crossed from the right and Barrett turned past his own goalkeeper under pressure from Jacob Mellis.

But two minutes later the Shrimpers regained their lead when Mooney's close-range snapshot flew in off the post.

Southend's advantage should have been doubled within a minute when the lively Moussa cut the ball back to Tyrone Barnett in the area, but he got his shot horribly wrong – firing wide.

Bury equalised in the 31st minute through Lowe. After brilliant work from Danny Mayor to control the ball and lay it off, the 37-year-old forward finished with a neat side-footed strike from the edge of the area.

The visitors could have taken a lead into the break when former Shaker David Worrall clipped the post with an effort from the edge of the box.

Mooney also came a lick of paint away from his second after the break when he rattled the crossbar after lifting the ball over on-rushing Bury keeper Chris Neal.

Flitcroft handed debuts to youth team forwards Callum Styles and Rob Bourne late on as he gave the 3,575 fans inside Gigg Lane a glimpse of things to come.

Deep into added time, Lowe won an injury-time penalty and tucked it away with aplomb to wrap up all three points with his final touch in a Bury shirt.

One pleasing factor from the win, which secured a 14th-place finish in League One, was the chance for Bury's younger players to showcase their talents.

Anthony Dudley, who recently returned from a successful loan spell at Guiseley, was handed only his second start for the club.

Under-16s striker Styles and U18s forward Bourne were introduced from the bench late on as Flitcroft looked to blood the highly-rated youngsters ahead of next season.

“It's a strategy where I want to be, especially next season,” Flitcroft said. “It's quite easy to roll them out at the end of the season, what's not easy is to roll them out when you have got to stay in the league and that's the objective, that's too much pressure for young kids.

“Today, the shackles were off and I thought Bourney came on and controlled his game and really did what Bourney does.

"He will get better playing with better players.

"Dudley has deserved his chance, he is very brave. He is a wanted man in Halifax for what he did with Guiseley but he is someone who has really improved all around.

“Since I took over and we had words at Radcliffe he works harder than probably most professionals you'll see so he's deserved his chance.

"I'm excited about Duds and what he can do – he's a fantastic finisher and very clinical.”

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Match ratings

BURY (4-5-1): Neal 6; Jones 6, P Clarke 6, Soares 6, Hussey 6; Dudley 6 (Styles 6, 75), Etuhu 7, Mellis 7 (Bourne 6, 78), Tutte 7, Mayor 6 (Rose 6, 57); Lowe 9. Not used: Lawlor, Pope, Pugh, Williams.

SOUTHEND UNITED (4-4-2): Smith; Worrall, Malarczyk (Thompson 62), Barrett, Coker; Moussa (McQueen 67), Atkinson, Leonard, Bridge (Payne 56); Mooney, Barnett. Not used: Bentley, Hunt, Deegan, Loza.

Goals: Bury – Barrett og 21, Lowe 29, 90. Southend United – Moussa 8, Mooney 23.

Yellow cards: Southend United – Mooney 24, Worrall 90.

Referee: Trevor Kettle (Rutland).

Attendance: 3,575 (398 visiting).

STAR MAN: Ryan Lowe – A fairytale farewell for a club legend. With an assist and two goals, Lowe's contribution won the Shakers the game. His calm yet clinical finishing certainly showed any potential suitors that he can still be a useful weapon at this level.