BURY boss David Flitcroft is calling on his experienced players to stand up and be counted after they slipped to a fifth consecutive defeat following late heartbreak at home to AFC Wimbledon on Tuesday night.

Neil Danns gave the Shakers the lead from the penalty spot but Lyle Taylor equalised before the break and Jonathan Meades nodded in the winner in stoppage time to steal all three points.

Both goals Bury conceded were headers, much to the disappointment of Flitcroft, who said he expected more from his senior stars in the closing stages when the result is within touching distance.

Instead, the Bury boss singled out 21-year-old summer signing Niall Maher for praise.

“It was a case of not seeing the game out,” Flitcroft said. “I have brought some very good, experienced players to this football club, but it was the likes of Niall Maher who really stood up in the second half and was excellent.

"But I'm not wanting Niall at this stage of his career to be outstanding week in, week out.

"I want my experienced players to stand out in those moments.

“I'm massively disappointed that we haven't learned something from all those defeats, drawn a line in the sand, seen the game out for a point, then we could have built on from that.

“I said to the lads in there 'believe that you can go on and win any game, or certainly not get beaten'.

"The first goal was a free header. For him to have that space, it's not good defending, and the cross came in too easy.”

Despite the last-gasp heartbreak, Flitcroft was able to pick out some positives as winger Danny Mayor showed glimpses of his early season form with a couple of dazzling second-half runs.

Striker Ishmael Miller was also handed his home debut from the bench as he continues to build up his match fitness after signing on a free transfer last week, and the manager says he withdrew winger Zeli Ismail after an hour to reduce the chance of injury.

“Second half we found a rhythm,” Flitcroft added. “We had to score in that period where we really dominated them. We had a lot of the ball, Danny Mayor came alive in the second half, I thought he was excellent.

“We caused them a lot of problems and we really had to put them to the sword but when we don't we have to make sure you respect the point.

“Ishmael gave us something different, gave us a focal point and caused problems.

"It's good that he got 28 or 30 minutes under his belt and that's probably a positive that's come out of the game.

“I think for someone who has got the power and is as dynamic as Zeli (Ismail), to play two games in a week on a heavy pitch he's not hardened to that sort of physical adaptation yet, so we have got to make sure we get the game minutes right.”

Rain battered the pitch early on and standing water made it difficult for both sides to move the ball around on the deck.

Players also struggled to stay on their feet as the turf began to give way beneath them, but there was no excuse for Paul Robinson as he brought down James Vaughan in the penalty area in the 28th minute.

As soon as the referee drew the whistle to his mouth Danns swooped for the ball and dispatched the resulting penalty expertly into the bottom corner.

The midfielder came close to his second in as many minutes when Mayor cut the ball back to him on the edge of the box, but Darius Charles got his body in the way to block.

Five minutes before the break Wimbledon got their equaliser when Andy Barcham got down the left flank and stood a cross up for the unmarked Taylor to head in from close range.

The Shakers edged the second half as Mayor tried his luck from 20 yards, but his shot curled agonisingly into the side netting.

Substitute Tom Walker also whistled a 25-yard free kick narrowly over the bar.

However, Bury were hit with a sucker-punch one minute into added time when Meades headed in the winner from a corner to steal all three points, which drops the Shakers down to eighth in the league table.

Match ratings

Bury (4-4-2): Williams 6; Etuhu 6, Maher 8, Kay 7, Leigh 7; Ismail 6 (Walker 62, 6), Soares 6, Danns 6 (Tutte 62, 6), Mayor 7; Hope 6 (Miller 68, 6), Vaughan 6. Not subs: Rachubka, Burgess, Harker, Dudley.

AFC Wimbledon (4-4-2): Shea; Fuller, Robinson, Charles, Meades; Parrett, Reeves, Bulman (Egan 73), Barchman; Barnett (Elliott76), Taylor (Poleon 73). Not used subs: Nightingale, Whelpdale, McDonnell, Owens.

Referee: Andrew Haines (Tyne and Wear).