BURY 0

ROVERS 3

(Antonsson, 12, 37) (Dack, 63)

BRADLEY Dack scored one and made two as Rovers moved back in to the top six of League One with a comfortable win at Bury.

Dack sent up Marcus Antonsson twice in the first half as the Swede took his tally to six for the season as Rovers led 2-0 at the break.

And in a second half which petered out, Dack came up with another piece of quality just after the hour mark to get his name on the scoresheet with a fine 25-yard effort in to the bottom corner.

Bury, bottom of the table, struggled to create much of note after an opening 10 minute salvo which brought two good saves out of David Raya.

But Rovers were to hold out for a fifth clean sheet of the campaign away from home infront of an excellent travelling following of 3,606.

Keen to avenge their midweek humbling at the hands of non-league Woking in the FA Cup, Bury flew out of the traps.

They worked two good crossing opportunities down the left early on, but it was from the opposite flank in which their first chance would come. Nicky Ajose pulled off the shoulder of Charlie Mulgrew and find Harry Bunn on the edge of the box, but after working a shooting angle, David Raya was able to dive away to his right to gather the shot.

And the hosts were certainly enjoying the better of the early exchanges. Raya was forced to palm away a Chris Humphrey strike, and after Rovers only half cleared the ball, Greg Leigh thumped a 25-yarder just wide of the far post.

But having weathered the early storm, Rovers were to take the lead in the 12th minute.  It owed much to the quality of Bradley Dack, as well as the finish of Marcus Antonsson who netted for the fifth time this season.  Antonsson’s out to in run was found by Dack before the Swede slammed the ball in to the roof of the net.

The pair almost combined to good effect shortly afterwards. A deep Richie Smallwood cross was kept alive by Dack in to the path of Antonsson who stabbed the ball goalwards, but just of the target.

That goal had helped settle Rovers down who started to enjoy more of the ball as the midway point of the first half was reached.

They were creating space with their attacking play, and a neat move ended with Elliott Bennett sending Antonssson through, but the ball just wouldn’t fall kindly and Leo Fasan was quickly off the line to smother the danger.  A corner was the result, and after Dack and Paul Downing did well to keep the ball alive, Joe Nuttall found himself two yards out, only to blaze over.

Looking for that second goal, Peter Whittingham tried his luck after the ball fell kindly to him on the edge of the box, with Fasan able to watch it over the bar.

Greg Leigh, impressive for Bury in their Checkatrade Trophy win at Ewood Park last month, was seeing plenty of the ball for his side down their left though a couple of forays forward brought no reward.

Eight minutes before the break however, Rovers find the second goal that their pressure was threatening. Again it was Dack and Antonsson linking up as it was the former’s cross which was expertly headed home by the latter for his sixth goal of the campaign.

A change just before the break, and one at the start of the second, saw Bury switch from three at the back to 4-2-3-1 in a bid find a way back in to the game.

That allowed the hosts gain control of the play, but lacking penetration, Rovers were happy to soak up the early pressure.

The tempo had started to disappear from the game as the hour mark was reached, with Bennett testing Fasan with an ambitious 30-yarder as Rovers looked to make the game safe.

As had been the running theme throughout the game however, Dack’s quality would bring the third goal. After two assists he claimed his fifth of the season with a fine finish. Collecting Derrick Williams’ pass just inside the Bury half he drove towards goal before rifling an effort in to the bottom corner.

The  game became even flatter after Dack’s goal as Bury looked decidedly lost for ideas.

Cross after cross from the hosts was dealt with by a Rovers backline who looked keen to make it five clean sheets on the road in eight  games.

The visitors had  a chance to extend their lead in injury time, but Danny Graham's attempted chip over the goalkeeper didn't have the required elevation as Fasan gathered.