Scunthorpe United 1

Bury 2

By NEIL BONNAR ONLY their infamous self-destruct button can deny Bury their first taste of success for 10 years.

A blistering second half show and dream results elsewhere has left an automatic promotion within their capable grasp - and sparked realistic hopes of even landing the Third Division title.

But it was almost a vastly different story as the Shakers spent the first 45 minutes apparently trying to mend something that wasn't broken!

Why they switched a 4-4-2 system which been the basis of their success to string five across the midfield is a mystery.

It failed miserably and once they returned to what they do best they never looked back. It would have been an injustice if the magnificent Chris Lucketti - who has surely added to last summer's £500,000 price tag with another sensational season - had finished accurately after beating keeper Gary Germaine to Nick Daws' left wing cross on the stroke of half time.

But their was nothing fortunate about the two-goal lead they surged into 20 minutes after the break.

With David Pugh and David Johnson pushed forward into their normal and most effective roles, they ripped Scunthorpe apart.

The home side, with five wins behind them in an unbeaten seven-match run, weathered the storm until Dean West's sixth perfectly delivered corner in 16 one-way minutes was thumped home by Michael Jackson. Just as at Scarborough seven days earlier, the Shakers showed their ruthless streak as they quickly doubled the lead with a spectacular diving header by Johnson whose quicksilver turn of pace to reach Mark Carter's flick was as devastating as his finish.

As Bury sought to ram home their advantage, Pugh's stunning volley brought a class reflex save out of Germaine, substitute Mark Sertori was denied by a superb last ditch challenge by Russell Bradley and Carter was inches off target after being released by Ian Hughes' penetrating through ball.

Once again defensive heroes Jackson, Lucketti and West provided the foundation for success while Daws, Pugh and the tireless Lenny Johnrose were the driving force behind Bury's second half surge.

But every successful side needs to ride its luck at times and, after Max Nicholson set up a grand finale with a precise header six minutes from time, Bury heaved a huge sigh of relief when Chris Hope missed the target by a whisker with an unmarked header on the stroke of the final whistle. BURY FORMGUIDE Bracey 6, West 8, Hughes 7,

LUCKETTI 9, Jackson 8, Daws 7, Johnrose 7, Brabin 6, Pugh 7, Carter 7, Johnson 7. Subs: Sertori 6 (for Johnson 70 mins), Stant and Matthewson. Att:2,132.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.