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Derby joy

Dave Lawrenson
9/10/2008

NOT content with beating all and sundry in League Two, Bury have now proven that they can get the better of higher division teams as well.

The Shakers dumped arch-rivals Stockport County out of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy on Tuesday night with star striker Andy Bishop scoring the only goal of the derby game on 77 minutes.

Stockport have been holding their own since gaining promotion from League Two last season and they defeated League One leaders Oldham on Friday night.

But, unlike in the last 20 minutes of Bury’s 3-3 League Two stalemate at Aldershot on Saturday, the Shakers defended exceptionally well on a sodden Gigg Lane pitch on Tuesday night with Stockport mainly restricted to pot-shots from distance.

Bury, who made team changes for the first time in eight matches with Ryan Cresswell and Richie Baker replacing Efe Sodje and Stephen Dawson, were behind on the possession stats but they had the better of the chances with Bishop, Baker and the outstanding Michael Jones all coming close to scoring before Bishop’s header from Jones’ pinpoint cross sent the home fans wild in celebration.

The ball rocketed off the ground and into the roof of the net and the goal represented Bishop’s seventh of the season following his brilliant brace at eighth-placed Aldershot on Saturday.

The result kept Bury’s unbeaten league record in tact.

But some poor defending resulted in Bury throwing away a commanding three-goal cushion and losing top spot status.

They now lie second, two points adrift of Wycombe.

Bury looked certain to end promoted club Aldershot’s unbeaten home record when Bishop spun from Elliott Bennett’s 57th minute free kick lay-off and blasted the ball home from the edge of the box.

The two players also combined to give Bury the lead on 24 minutes with Bishop slotting in on-loan winger Bennett’s volleyed cut back.

Bury skipper Paul Scott bundled in a header from Brian Barry-Murphy’s corner to the far post on the half-hour mark and Andy Morrell hit the crossbar with an audacious long ranger.

But, despite being under strength and only able to name four substitutes due to injuries and illnesses, Aldershot refused to give up.

Seven minutes after entering the fray as a substitute, Rob Elvins found himself unmarked bang in front of the posts as he headed Kirk Hudson’s 70th minute cross into the bottom corner of Bury’s goal.

Scott then handled the ball from a corner under extreme pressure with Scott Davies rifling in the resulting spot kick.

And the comeback was complete when Danny Hylton’s trickery bedazzled David Buchanan, Dawson and Bennett before he arrowed a 79th minute shot into the far corner to score a stunning solo effort.

Bennett should have won the game for Bury when he shot too close to Aldershot keeper Mikhael Jaimez-Ruiz when unmarked at the back stick.

But, despite having four more shots on goal than Aldershot, Bury can have no complaints about the result on the back of their inept late defending.