WYCOMBE WANDERERS 1, SHAKERS 2: Wycombe Wanderers were banking on all three points from this game to keep their promotion play-off hopes alive but were denied even one as Graham Barrow's men bounced back from a slow start to secure a fine victory.

Hero of the hour was midfielder Dave Flitcroft who rounded off a superb 90 minutes with the winning goal.

The delight on Flitcroft's face after his 25-yard chip sailed over Frank Talia's head into the top corner will have been in stark contrast to his brother Garry's countenance at missing out on an FA Cup final place with Blackburn earlier in the afternoon.

But sibling solidarity was not allowed do infringe on the Bury man's display as he put in a typically robust and wholehearted showing.

With injuries again taking their toll on Barrow's team selections, youngster Colin Kazim-Richards was forced into a lone striking role while the on-loan midfielder Danny Boshell made his first start since arriving from Oldham last month.

But it was the home side that made all the early running and they took the lead when Roger Johnson was allowed time and space to run at the Bury defence before firing a low drive just inside Glyn Garner's right hand post.

The equaliser arrived after 34 minutes and was the result of a fine piece of build-up play involving Flitcroft, Boshell and Kazim-Richards.

The home defence looked to have nullified the danger until the ball broke kindly for Simon Whaley who gleefully blasted home a stinging effort from 10 yards for his third goal in seven games.

Both much-travelled veteran Steve Claridge and Gus Uhlenbeek tested Garner with shots just before the interval and Wycombe again gave the Shakers plenty to think about early in the second half and Garner saved twice from Claridge before he really rode his luck when Nathan Tyson somehow completely missed connecting in front of an open goal and the ball struck the post before being cleared to safety.

The blossoming Kazim-Richards proved a constant thorn in the side of the home defence and on one storming run midway through the half he powered past two defenders along the goalline before drilling a fine ball across the face of goal where Brian Barry-Murphy was waiting to pounce. Unluckily for the Irishman a desperate interception by Johnson came to the home side's rescue.

But there was nothing Wycombe could do about Flitcroft's 81st minute winner.

It was quick thinking by Boshell and the goalscorer that did the trick. The former played a quickly-taken corner to Flitcroft who looked up and delivered an inch-perfect chip to the back post that completely deceived Talia and crept in under the angle of bar and post.

Bury: Garner, Whaley, Kennedy, Fitzgerald, Scott, Barry-Murphy, Mattis, Flitcroft, Challinor, Boshall (Cartledge 85), Kazim-Richards (Shakes 89). Subs not used: Collinge, Buchanan and Woodthorpe.

Referee: Mr P. Joslin (Newark)

Attendance: 4,703