Darlington 4 Bury 0

By NEIL BONNAR GOOD old Bury. Just when you thought it was safe to get excited, the dark side of their unpredictable nature rears its ugly head again.

Fifteen hundred deflated fans must have wondered what all the pre-match talk of a promotion celebration was about. It has to have been the worst party they have ever been to!

Now the wait to clinch an automatic promotion place with surely Preston and Gillingham starts all over again. And on Saturday's showing we could be waiting for an awful long time.

The slack Shakers weren't so much beaten as blitzed out of sight as slick Darlington inflicted the biggest and most humiliating defeat of the season on them.

Indeed, Stan Ternent's men were lucky to get away so lightly. It could have been a landslide if the home side's livewire forwards had turned a good percentage of their gilt-edged chances into goals. They simply tore Bury's previously rock solid defence to shreds. But Lucketti, Jackson and Co. had precious little help from the rest of the side in stemming the tide of attacks.

Only Lenny Johnrose emerged with any real credit as he led the way with a now typically all-action display - unfortunately nobody followed.

It might have been a different story if Mark Carter hadn't wasted a penalty on the hour with the Darlington only two up - but it's doubtful.

"We were well and truly beaten by a far superior side on the day," admitted Stan Ternent.

"They were better than us in every department and it was one of those days when the ball was never going to go in for us."

David Johnson's feeble finish after Carter's quick thinking released him with the first attack of the game set the scene for Bury's off day.

While they never got out of first gear, Darlington played the entire 90 minutes in overdrive.

Matt Carmichael gave them the perfect start when he lashed a right foot volley inside the luckless Lee Bracey's near post after 13 minutes and Robbie Blake found the opposite corner from the same spot four minutes later.

Bury escaped in between when Andy Crosby's thumping header crashed off the underside of the crossbar onto the goalline and were fortunate again when the referee mysteriously waved play-on when Ian Hughes clearly upended Steve Gaughan in the area. The tide seemed to be turning when Bracey's razor-sharp reflexes denied Blake and then Phil Brumwell handled in his area on the hour. But it was business as usual after Carter's soft spot kick.

Crosby, Anthony Carss and Blake twice spurned chances to ram home their advantage but Robbie Painter wasn't as charitable as he beat Bracey in two one-on-ones to give the scoreline a more accurate reflection of Darlington's dominance.

Bury only looked a force going forward after Phil Stant's 60th minute introduction. His direct approach put the home defence on the back foot for the first time in the game and he was unlucky to see a linesman's flag rule out a consolation goal in a late flurry which also saw David Pugh bring the first save of the day out of Newell. BURY FORMGUIDE Bracey 5, West 6, Hughes 5, Daws 5, Lucketti 5, Jackson 5, Brabin 5, Carter 5, Johnson 5,

JOHNROSE 8, Pugh 6. Subs: Matthews 5 (for Johnson h/t), Stant 7 (for Daws 60 mins) and Sertori (for Hughes 78 mins). Att: 4,335.

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