It's Friday night fever as Shakers move up to sixth

BURY 2 YORK CITY 1: FORGET Abbott and Costello there's another double act that's putting smiles on the faces of Bury supporters this season - it's Abbott and Newby! writes Phil Thorp

Loan star Pawel Abbott and Jon Newby are forming a devastating partnership up front for the Shakers as York City were the latest to discover on Friday evening.

Two quality first half goals, one from each of them, set the Shakers on their way to victory against a side highly fancied for promotion this season.

That takes the dynamic duo's goal tally to nine and with Abbott putting pen to paper on another month's loan contract Bury fans should be licking their lips at plenty more to come.

Make no mistake the Shakers have been playing some sexy football over the last few games and at long last there seems to be an end product in the scoring department.

Slick and inventive in midfield and full of running and devilment up front, Friday's display was a joy to behold especially in that first half that contained the two classic strikes.

The first arrived after 20 minutes when a free kick from goalkeeper Glyn Garner was flicked on by Abbott and Newby's superb shot on the turn completely wrongfooted City's Northern Ireland international goalkeeper Alan Fettis.

It was a strike of pure class and had Bury boss Andy Preece drooling: "It was a great effort," he said.

"We've been saying in training that you don't always need to look at the target, the goals don't move!

"The earlier you hit the ball the less chance of the keeper saving it, Jon hit it so early Fettis wasn't able to set himself."

The luckless custodian didn't have much hope of stopping Abbott's superb effort that arrived six minutes later.

Another inch perfect ball from Terry Dunfield picked out the big Pole and his effort from all of 18 yards powered into the net.

Abbott - who was born and raised in York before moving to Poland at the age of ten - had two reasons to enjoy the goal.

Impressed

It was scored against his boyhood favourites and his Preston boss Craig Brown was sat in the stand no doubt running the rule over him. The former Scotland manager must have been impressed.

The two goal cushion was just reward for some scintillating play from Bury but York's good start to the season isn't a fluke and they still had one or two tricks up their sleeves.

In veteran striker Peter Duffield they had a man on a mission to score in his seventh consecutive game and claim a club record.

And the former Sheffield United man must have thought his luck was in ten minutes before the break when a slack ball by skipper Martyn Forrest put him in on goal with only Garner to beat.

Fortunately for the Shakers he'd left his scoring boots in the dressing room and blasted a powerful shot wide.

He went even closer with a powerful 25-yard first half stoppage time effort that struck the post but on that occasion Garner was relieved to see the ball cannon into the stand behind his goal.

As expected York came out for the second half with all guns blazing and pulled a goal back seven minutes after the restart in bizarre circumstances.

A left wing corner kick by Steve Brackstone somehow managed to evade everyone in the box and sail unhindered past Garner into the goal.

Tom Cowan cheekily claimed a touch but after the match it was confirmed the ball went straight in from the flag kick.

With recent defensive frailties fresh in the mind it looked a fair bet City would soon grab a leveller and even more but the Shakers rearguard stood their ground and some dogged defending saved the day.

Special mention ought to go to Michael Nelson who looked back to his best with a marvellous dominant display at the heart of the backline.

Powerful in the air, strong in the tackle and hardly wasting a ball he looked right back to the fine form he showed at the start of last season and formed a more than useful defensive partnership with Colin Woodthorpe and Matty Barrass.

Danny Swailes and Chris Billy were introduced midway through the second half to add some defensive stability and both contributed to keeping the Yorkists out.

Meanwhile at the other end the fast breaking Shakers still had chances to put the game out of reach of the visitors.

Abbott had to clear off the goalline after Garner had spilled a high ball, then seconds later Newby raced clear and set up Lee Unsworth who fired into the side netting.

Stinging

Fettis did well to block a close range effort from Abbott and Woodthorpe turned up to blast a stinging left foot drive over the bar.

With five minutes of stoppage time on the clock player-boss Andy Preece decided it was time for a cameo role from himself replacing Abbott who left the field to a standing ovation.

The 'gaffer' used all his experience to keep the ball in the furthest corner from the Bury goal ensuring there was to be no repetition of the last minute equaliser at Boston last Saturday.