BURY came within 10 minutes of re-writing the script for this season’s League Two promotion race, but were left frustrated by a decidedly unhappy ending at home to Morecambe.

Wycombe handed the Shakers the opportunity to move to within touching distance of the automatic promotion places after the third-placed side lost at leaders Burton Albion.

But David Flitcroft’s men were unable to capitalise after conceding two late goals to cancel out Tom Eaves’ first-half opener.

For the majority of Monday’s match, it looked like Bury would comfortably close the gap to their rivals to just a point.

In fact, the biggest talking point of the opening 80 minutes was exactly who put Bury in front.

Eaves added the final touch to the 17th minute opener after Danny Nardiello’s shot from Andrew Tutte’s cross was parried by Morecambe keeper Danny Ward.

Whether or not the ball was actually over the line when the on-loan Bolton Wanderers striker made contact was an argument only Eaves and Nardiello will have been interested in at the final whistle.

Everything changed – in the match and possibly Bury’s season – when Morecambe substitute Padraig Amond found himself clear on the edge of the box.

His shot, underneath the dive of Shakers stopper Nick Pope, seemed to suck the energy out of the Bury players and supporters as it nestled in the back of the net.

Five minutes later and a still dazed faithful inside the JD Stadium watched on in horror as Pope sliced an attempted clearance to Jamie Devitt and his attempted shot from the left touchline was bundled home at the back post by fellow substitute Paul Mullin.

It must have felt like a wicked nightmare for the Bury players and manager, who had worked so hard to force an opening into the top three.

They went into the game looking for a fifth straight victory after picking up 24 points from a possible 27.

Flitcroft was adamant he would not be dwelling on what might have been, but instead dreaming of another fairy tale ending in a sport with a happy knack of creating the most unlikely of story lines.

“You can only take inspiration from what Man City did, to win the Premier League (in 2012) with the last kick of the season,” he said, looking ahead to the final six matches of Bury’s campaign.

“It happens, it is football, that’s why we love it.

“We have just missed an opportunity today, but we have another six opportunities.

“Not much has changed, we have just lost a game of football.

“We still have four points we have to gain (on Wycombe) and we still have to chase that up.”

Flitcroft is, of course, right not to panic. They remain in fourth place in the table, four points behind Wycombe with a game in hand.

The frustration behind the manager’s calm exterior is that Bury had more than enough chances to kill off the game but tightened in the closing stages after failing to put them away.

It may have been a case of over-confidence, after keeping eight clean sheets in Pope’s 15 games since joining on loan from Charlton.

But the fact Bury have been struggling to see off teams, relying on the odd goal and a tight defence to rack up the points rather than clear victories, continues to be a cause for concern.

Part of the problem has been a lack of goals from the strikers.

Nardiello is the top scorer with 13, having found the net consistently throughout the season, but Ryan Lowe, who has eight to his name, has only scored one goal since October 18.

Substitute Hallam Hope is yet to score in 19 appearances since signing from Everton last November, while Eaves went into Monday’s match without a goal since February 2014.

That perhaps explains his reaction after the PA announcer in the ground awarded Bury’s goal to him.

Nardiello peeled away to celebrate, convinced the ball was already in, before Eaves’ name came blaring out over the tanoy.

The Bolton striker clenched his fist, directing the gesture towards the dugout, while Nardiello was standing behind him looking in the same direction, pointing at his chest, mouthing the words “it was mine".

Bury deserved their opener, whoever it is ultimately awarded to, following a lively start and were unlucky not to add a second before the break.

Ward made two superb fingertip saves to claw away shots from Danny Mayor and Nardiello.

While Eaves looked destined to double his goal tally in a Bury shirt, waiting at the back post to tap in a Tom Soares pass before former Shakers defender Andy Parrish made a telling interception.

Ward continued to thwart Bury after the break, getting down low to gather a Jones shot.

Ryan Lowe also had a goal ruled out for offside before Jones mis-kicked from five yards with the goal gaping.

Those missed chances came back to haunt the Shakers as Amond pounced on the loose ball after it broke to him following an Adam El-Abd tackle on Jack Redshaw.

And Mullin compounded the misery five minutes later.

Lowe very nearly gave Bury some solace in stoppage time, but his header from a Nicky Adams cross went just the wrong side of the post – another chance that went begging on what felt like a day of missed opportunity.

BURY (4-4-2): Pope 7; Jones 9 (Hope 6 81), Cameron 8, El-Abd 8, Hussey 8; Soares 6, Etuhu 7, Tutte 7, Mayor 7; Eaves 8 (Adams 7 70), Nardiello 9 (Lowe 7 58).

Not used: Sedgwick, O'Brien, Holding, Lainton.

MORECAMBE (3-5-2): Ward; Edwards, Goodall (Devitt 46), Parrish; Beeley, Kenyon, Wildig, Fleming, Wilson; Redshaw (Mullin 83), Ellison (Amond 76).

Not used: Wright, Drummond, McGowan, Arestidou.

Goals: Bury 1 (Eaves 17) Morecambe 2 (Amond 80, Mullin 85).

Yellow cards: Bury – none. Morecambe – Goodall 28.

Referee: Darren Bond.

Attendance: 4,045 (227 visitors).

Star man: Craig Jones – By the time the former vice-captain was substituted with nine minutes to play the pain was etched on his face. If anyone deserved not to be on the losing side it was the stand-in right-back. Jones had endured a frustrating time on the sidelines up to Joe Riley’s suspension, but has run his heart and soul out, bombing up and down the right flank since returning to the side. It was such a shame then that his second-half miss-kick when the goal opened up in front of him, ended up costing Buy dear.