THE problems are mounting up for Richie Barker and his Bury side after they slumped to their seventh straight defeat at Victoria Park this afternoon.

They were far from outclassed by their in-form hosts, who remain unbeaten this season, but two shocking mistakes by defender Andrai Jones, making his Football League debut, led to their downfall.

Former Newcastle and Aston Villa winger Nolberto Solano put Pools into the lead in the 33rd minute when he latched on to a simple ball down the middle and slotted past Trevor Carson.

The lead could have been doubled sixty seconds later, but a simple tap-in at the far post was ruled out by the linesman.

Bury looked brighter after the break, but their enthusiasm was quashed within eight minutes of the break when Colin Nish outmuscled Jones and smashed home.

Solano was head and shoulders above the rest, constantly playing balls behind the inexperienced Shakers backline, and it was his cross that Nish headed against the crossbar.

And Nish capped a miserable day for Jones when he robbed the defender of the ball and confidently finished his third goal of the season.

Winger James Poole, who spent a short time on loan at Bury under Alan Knill, almost rubbed salt into the gaping wounds with a fourth but his two shots went narrowly wide.

Andy Bishop and David Worrall earlier went close for the Gigg Laners but, for all their possession, they created very little and paid the price for some horrendous mistakes at the back.

Hartlepool: Flinders 6, Austin 7, Collins 7, Hartley 7, Wright 6, Solano 9, Murray 6 (Monkhouse 7, 59), Liddle 6, Sweeney 7, Nish 7, Boyd 7 (Poole 6, 63). Subs not used: Rafferty, Humphreys, Luscombe.

Bury: Carson 7, Picken 7, A Jones 5, Eastham 6, Skarz 7, Worrall 8, Sweeney 6 (Byrne 6, 78), Coke 6, M Jones 7, Bishop 6 (John-Lewis 6, 58), Harrad 6. Subs not used: Belford, Cregg, McCarthy.

Attendance: 5,343 (163 Bury fans)

Referee: Carl Sarginson