Blackwell blasts 'awful' Bury display
8:00am Monday 4th March 2013 in Bury FC By Craig Nelson
BURY manager Kevin Blackwell was long on apologies but short of explanations after watching his side tamely fall to their third consecutive 2-0 home defeat.
Preston-born Jamie Proctor scored his first two goals for the visitors to ensure Crawley – managed by former Shakers boss Richie Barker – provided another dent in the Gigg Lane outfit’s survival hopes.
The 20-year-old striker followed up a well-placed shot in the 17th minute with a neat header just after the break and Blackwell’s side failed to muster a serious response in what was a disjointed, toothless display.
The lacklustre showing was all the more baffling as it followed on from a 1-0 win at promotion-chasing Swindon last Tuesday.
“That’s the worst I’ve seen us,” said Blackwell.
“It was awful. I just can’t see where that’s come from. They were high as kites, full of confidence (going into the match).
“All I can do is apologise to the fans. I thought it was absolute rubbish. I don’t think anybody can take any credit.”
Bury looked nervous from the opening whistle and never got to grips with a dry, bobbly pitch.
Jake Taylor fired off a warning in the sixth-minute, waltzing through the offside trap before Trevor Carson palmed away his shot. But Bury’s defence failed to heed it, centre-back Ethan Ebanks-Landell missing the ball with a wild swing of his boot that left Proctor time to get off a low strike that went in off the post.
Zac Thompson was the only Bury player to manage a shot on target in the first half, but his volley was well held by Paul Jones.
Proctor’s second goal, on 48 minutes, nipped any hopes of a comeback in the bud. The young forward beat marker Joe Skarz to head home a cross from former Bury winger Mike Jones.
Blackwell flung on Andy Bishop, who put a decent header just over the bar, while a blistering shot from striker partner Craig Fagan went the same way.
And Craig Jones, a second-half replacement for Tom Soares, who is thought to have suffered a torn hamstring, just failed to connect with a flick-on from Ebanks-Landell.
The defeat, coupled with a good win for Colchester United, left Bury third bottom of League One, eight points from safety.
Comments(3)
Eileenshakers
says...
2:05pm Tue 5 Mar 13
I don't want our club to become a feeder club,fans need their own heroe's.Why should we just be a club that improves other feeder club's players?.I just hope that we can learn from the mistakes that have been made this season and lady luck shines on us in our next campaign.I hope that we have used up all of our bad luck in one season but i doubt it.The home form has been awful for a few seasons now.Even in our glorious promotion season we only won just half of our games unlike in 1997 when we won 18 drew 6 and lost 0.I for one don't want to retain any of the staff from this dismal season let's have a complete clear out at the end of the season.We need to start a fresh starting with bringing in a good young manager of the same ilk as Alan knill.
forover50years
says...
1:38pm Wed 6 Mar 13
Mind you, if we have to borrow money from the PFA simply to pay the wages, how on earth are we going to get rid of Blackwell?
Don`t think we`ve much chance of offloading him in the way that we were saved from his mentor, Warnock!
easylife44 says...
7:12pm Mon 4 Mar 13
Last year, struggling for points and wins...we went to Notts and unexpectedly won 4-2...that day most Bury fans gasped a relief and said this is the win that keeps us in League 1...and it did.
Now, I put to you this loss to Crawley also tells us what we need to know. This was a DEFINING game, the fans were up for this however the Manager and players were not. It is defining, because I think this was the game we lost of league 1 status.
We will beat Pompey, Yes, will we beat Colchester and Oldham, probably...but Players and KB you have torn the heart out of the fans h with this pathetic & Gutless loss against a team who certainly can only be considered "ordinary"..........
I may have some critics with this post, but please enlighten me how, how on earth we are going to make up 9-10 points and hope the others around us stumble.