SHAKERS REVIEW OF THE YEAR: January to May (From Bury Times)

SHAKERS REVIEW OF THE YEAR: January to May

9:00am Wednesday 23rd December 2009

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JANUARY: THE new year got off to a bad start for the promotion-chasing Shakers, thanks to a 2-1 defeat at rivals Wycombe.

They soon bounced back to form, however, and embarked on a nine-match unbeaten run with impressive defeats of Barnet, Aldershot, Bradford and Luton being sandwiched by a draw at Exeter City.

Off the pitch, talismanic striker Andy Bishop refused to sign a new contract at the club before, a fortnight later, making a U-turn and putting pen to paper on a new three-and-a-half year deal.

“There were clubs in higher divisions that came in for me, and every player has got to have aspirations to play at a higher level, but at this club I can see us doing that in the next couple of years,” Bishop said.

Chris Brass returned to the club as assistant manager.

FEBRUARY: KNILL’S men were really putting their foot on the accelerator now, and victories over Grimsby and Notts County came on the back of a draw against Dagenham and Redbridge.

Their unbeaten run did come to an end, however, at London Road when the second-placed Shakers were beaten 1-0 by top-of-the-table Brentford.

Manager Knill marked 12 months in charge of the club by collecting his second Manager of the Month award of the season after January’s stunning form.

In a break from the norm, the squad headed to Ullswater at the end of the month to freshen up body and mind.

“It was a good opportunity to get away,” said Knill. “We put the footballs down and took everyone out of their comfort zone and put them into different situations.”

MARCH: THE highlight of the month was, without doubt, a 2-1 derby day victory over neighbours Rochdale at Gigg Lane.

Michael Jones’ impressive late strike added to an early Elliott Bennett goal to sink the visitors from Spotland.

There followed four consecutive draws against Morecambe, Lincoln, Chester and Rotherham before victory over Bournemouth helped the team back to winning ways.

Skipper Paul Scott was sidelined for the rest of the season with injury, and that gave Steve Haslam the chance to seize his opportunity in the team, while John Welsh and Phil Jevons checked in on loan.

Knill told his players to aim for an automatic promotion spot, saying: “We’ve put ourselves in a strong position to get into the top three and that’s what we’re chasing.

“We could all say play-offs are good enough but I don’t think play-offs are good enough.”

APRIL: THE business end of the season was approaching, and Bury picked up points against Port Vale, Darlington and Gillingham while beating Shrewsbury and Macclesfield.

It meant the Shakers went into the final game of the season with a realistic chance of automatic promotion.

At the club’s end of season awards night, Stephen Dawson, in his first season at the club, swept the board.

He was named Bury Times Player of the Year, Disabled Supporters Player of the Season, Billy Ayre Memorial Official Website Player of the Season and Forever Bury Player of the Season.

He said: “I’m flattered to get the awards, I didn’t expect them at all. But it’s not about one player, it’s about the whole team.”

MAY: THERE will not have been many months in recent history as emotional and exciting as May 2009 for the Shakers.

They went into their final game of the regular season needing to beat Accrington Stanley and hope results went their way.

Nerves were jangling all afternoon in front of a bumper crowd of 7,515 and Knill’s men left it late to keep up their end of the bargain with Phil Jevons scoring a 90th minute penalty.

Wycombe’s surprise defeat at home to Notts County meant one more goal for Bury would see them go up automatically on goal difference, but the game finished abruptly after an overexcited crowd flooded the pitch following Jevons’ goal.

It meant they were plunged into a play-off with Shrewsbury Town, and the first leg went well as Neil Ashton’s own goal put Bury into the ascendancy.

Jevons missed a penalty in the first half of the second leg, and Bury were made to pay as Kevin McIntyre’s 88th minute goal sent the game into extra-time and penalties.

The visitors won the shootout 4-3 and went to Wembley to leave Knill’s men crestfallen.

“We feel we had done enough to be promoted automatically but it wasn't to be,” said Knill.

“We have to be realistic about everything — the players have been fantastic throughout the season and the difference is one strike of a ball.

“We have to regroup now and hopefully this will make us stronger.”

Leaving the club were Haslam, Bennett, Glynn Hurst and Paul Morgan.

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