2 weeks Ago
After a 46-match league campaign pushed all the way to the very end, the Shakers secured the title all the hard work and hard days were in aid of on Saturday. Unlike many Bury promotions of the past, this required no late miracle goal or penalty-save drama. In a match where the hosts needed only a point they comfortably brushed aside 10-man Burscough and emerged 4-0 winners.
Crowds had already started to arrive at Gigg Lane hours ahead of kick off, long queues snaked across the car park waiting for the turnstiles to open. Pre-match tickets alone guaranteed the biggest crowd at Gigg Lane in the 21st century, in all 8,719 spectators took in a match at the ninth tier of English football. The party atmosphere started early as players coming out for warm-ups were roared on by an excited crowd.
The Bury team was largely unchanged save for the inclusion of talismanic top scorer Rustam Stepans chosen to start on the final day of the season. In among the carnival there was also a chance to reflect as past members of the Bury family who would have loved to be there were remembered ahead of kick off. Most notable was former player Joe Thompson who passed away on Thursday at the age of only 36.
This was closed with opera tenor Joe Buckmaster’s rendition of Nessun Dorma. The early possession belonged to Bury. Seldom this season have the Shakers not dictated the play and Saturday was no exception.
The away side had already made some rougher challenges in the opening exchanges but midfielder Sam Sheen’s lunge on Bury captain Bobby Carroll crossed the line in the referee’s eyes. The red card was drawn and after only 15 minutes Burscough would face the rest of the match with 10 men. The advantage to Bury did not take long to reap its reward.
Winning a corner, Bryan Ly’s effort made its way through the Burscough box and landed at the feet of Aiden Walker at the far post to tap home the first goal. Soon the Shakers advantage was doubled. The Linnets defence was overwhelmed and when DJ Pedro made a smart cross, Tyler James finished well.
The home side were in cruise control and barring a heart-in-the-mouth moment when goalkeeper Mitch Allen was nearly charged down by an opportunistic Burscough attacker, the Shakers were comfortable. Bury ought to have scored more. Pedro attempted a wild shot that went wide when squaring to a team-mate would have been the better option and James nearly scored a second as he rounded Burscough keeper Ben Barnes and shot towards the open goal but the last defender did enough to clear off the line.
Just before half time James again came close from a counter-attack but the away side defended well to force him away from goal. Into the second half Bury’s control remained constant and on the hour Nicky Adams was introduced and handed the captain’s armband on his last appearance of an illustrious 20-year career that started and ended at Gigg Lane. He had won promotion twice with the Shakers and soon the tentative third became a mere formality.
James, first denied with a defensive block, followed up to blast in the rebound scoring his seventh goal in three matches to bolster Bury’s lead. And a few minutes later, beating the offside trap with a slide-rule pass James was presented with a one-on-one chance. The in-form Bury attacker finished well into the top corner to grab his second hat-trick in successive home matches.
The day was won and so was the season. Bury could have added further gloss to their win but were happy to keep the ball and run the time down. After four minutes of added time the whistle was finally blown and the party in the stands spilled out onto the pitch.
The team held aloft the trophy from the Main Stand and took a well-deserved lap of honour with their silverware. Bury fans took their celebrations out into the streets while the team could look back on their accomplished mission. Promotion had been won but it took a club record number of wins, points earned and goals scored in order to achieve it.
An incredible 15-match winning run, another record, had to be maintained to keep their slender lead at the top..
