SOUTHEND 1, SHAKERS 0: A fifth game in the last six without a goal resulted in a third successive defeat for the shotshy Shakers.

However, it was a far better display than the defeats against Mansfield Town and Rushden & Diamonds with just a lack of a cutting edge proving the Shakers' downfall.

But it's a problem that must be addressed quickly if the current slide down the table isn't to end in tears.

Prolific striker Freddie Eastwood's 42nd minute strike proved the difference between two sides desperate for points for different reasons at the opposite ends of the table.

Without the resources to bring in the sort of player that would make the difference, Bury boss Graham Barrow was forced to play a three man strikeforce of Jon Newby, Colin Kazim-Richards and loanee Bas Savage, only one of which, Newby, has a goal to his name.

The home side hadn't conceded a goal at home since Christmas, and that record never seriously looked liked being broken throughout the 90 minutes despite Simon Whaley delivering some decent quality crosses into the box.

The players held an emergency meeting at their Basildon hotel on Friday night.

Stung by website messageboard criticism against the manager, the outcome was they are all 100 per cent behind Barrow and need to take more responsibility themselves on the field.

Nevertheless, they still went home empty handed and frustratingly, there was more than a hint of fortune about Southend's winner.

Having looked well set to go in at the interval on level terms, with three minutes of the half remaining, referee Mr Stroud adjudged skipper Dave Challinor to have upended Eastwood on the edge of the box.

Mark Gower's subsequent free-kick took a wicked deflection off the Bury wall and Andy Marriott did superbly to keep out the powerful effort, but the ball broke kindly for poacher Eastwood who steered it home.

"I think we've dug deep and you can see if we start to get some of our injured players back we can go out and get some results," said Barrow.

BURY: Marriott, Fitzgerald, Challinor, Unsworth, Whaley, Barry-Murphy (Harkins, 58), Flitcroft,Kazim-Richards, Kennedy, Newby, Savage.

Not used: Garner, Moore, Cartledge and Buchanan.

Att: 5,553

Referee: Mr K.Stroud