BURY boss David Flitcroft was more disappointed with the manor of his side's performance than the result as they slipped to a sixth successive away defeat in the league at Port Vale on Monday.

Byron Moore rattled the post before the break for the hosts before substitute Sam Kelly netted what proved to be the decisive goal midway through the second half.

The Shakers looked much improved at the back following their 4-1 defeat at Southend in their previous match, but they offered little excitement going forward for the 685 travelling supporters.

In a game short on genuine chances, the Valiants just had the edge to leapfrog the Shakers in the table as Flitcroft's men dropped to 12th, four points outside the play-offs.

“When you have got a game plan you want to see it out and you want to cause them more problems than what we did," said the Bury manager.

"I need to go back and work out why we didn't.

“Second half we had a bit of a surge, there was nothing in the game, so I'm really disappointed with their goal.

“I don't see Danny Mayor, who is the best talent on the pitch for me, being able to run and skip himself around three or four challenges or half challenges. You can't do it.

“The boy Kelly has come on the inside track unchallenged and that really disappoints me how you can win a game on that.

“We didn't protect each other, starting with Joe Riley's non-tackle to Nathan's (Cameron) non-tackle, to Peter Clarke's as he's just gathering pace and momentum and speed.

“I don't see my players get those kind of easy opportunities.

“That's a disappointing aspect. We looked quite threatening at set-pieces. Leon (Clarke) had a couple of chances, but we have still not created enough.”

Flitcroft made two changes from the defeat at Roots Hall.

Tom Soares was ruled out with a hamstring injury so Craig Jones slotted in on the right of midfield, while young striker Danny Rose dropped to the bench as former Vale favourite Tom Pope took his place in attack.

Alongside Rose on the bench was 17-year-old youth-team striker George Miller, one of three teenagers named amongst the six substitutes, who had an average age 22.5 years, despite the inclusion of 35-year-old player/coach Chris Sedgwick.

The lack of goalkeeping cover on the bench was also a cause for concern, with Flitcroft later confirming that both Rob Lainton and Jack Ruddy had picked up injuries that could keep them out for a "few weeks".

After a 10-day break without a game the Shakers were raring to go and could have gone ahead inside 10 seconds had goalkeeper Jak Alnwick not been able to claw the ball away from Leon Clarke as the forward tried to take it round him.

Bury were given a huge let off four minutes in when centre-back Nathan Cameron slipped on the edge of the box and allowed Moore a free run at goal but the winger saw his shot come back off the post.

The hosts controlled the early possession and looked threatening down the left as Joe Riley struggled to deal with Colin Daniel, who produced a number of great crosses that Ajay Leitch-Smith was inches away from converting.

But against all of the hosts' early dominance the Shakers stood strong and grew into the game.

Left-back Chris Hussey became the main attacking threat with his set-pieces and delivery from out wide but it came to very little in the first period.

Kelvin Etuhu had the game's first shot on target two minutes after the break when he sent a 20-yard thunderbolt straight down the throat of Alnwick.

Michael Brown followed suit for the hosts two minutes later, registering their first effort on target from outside the area, but it was easy pickings for Bury stopper Daniel Bachmann.

Vale thought they had taken the lead on the 56th minute when Richard Duffy turned the ball over the line after tussling with Bachmann from a corner but the referee's assistant disallowed it.

Two minutes later the ball was in the Bury net again and this time it did count.

Half-time substitute Kelly picked up the ball on the left and drove across the Bury penalty area, riding a few half-challenges before blasting the ball past a helpless Bachmann.

Danny Mayor responded for the Shakers straight from the kick-off, cutting in from the left and shooting over before Flitcroft shook his team up with the 63rd-minute introduction of Reece Brown and Danny Rose in place of Danny Pugh and Pope.

The forward went off to a standing ovation from the home supporters after scoring 69 goals during a four-and-a-half year spell at his hometown club.

Bachmann kept the visitors in the game with a fine finger-tip save down to his right six minutes later to keep out Michael O'Connor's 25-yard free-kick.

Leon Clarke created a great chance to equalise 12 minutes from time when he plucked Jones' cross out of the air, turned and blasted goalwards but Alnwick was equal to it down to his left.

Bury pressed for a goal late on but even the generous offering of seven minutes added time did nothing to inspire the visitors as they continued their slide away from the promotion places.

*******

Match ratings

Bury (4-4-2): Bachmann 6, Riley 5 (Dudley 71, 5), Cameron 5, P Clarke 6, Hussey 6, Jones 6, Pugh 5 (Brown 63, 5), Etuhu 6, Mayor 6, Pope 5 (Rose 63, 6), L Clarke 6

Not used: Sedgwick, Burgess, Miller

Port Vale (4-2-3-1): Alnwick, Purkiss, Duffy, McGivern, Dickinson, O'Connor, Brown, Moore (Birchall 88), Foley, Daniel (Hooper 84), Leitch-Smith (Kelly 46).

Not used: Neal, Streete, Yates, Campion

Goals: Port Vale – Kelly 57.

Yellow cards: Bury – Brown (74), Jones (90+4).

Referee: James Adcock (Nottinghamshire).

Attendance: 5,467 (685 visiting).

STAR MAN: Chris Hussey – Hardly a star but his set-pieces created the occasional panic in the opposition penalty area. Unfortunately, there was no-one on hand to take advantage. The left-back did his defensive and attacking work well as the hosts spent the majority of the time terrorising Joe Riley on the opposite flank.