Bury 1 Exeter City 0 by Chris Hall: OUT of contract but certainly not out of favour.

That was the verdict of Bury boss Andy Preece after Steve Redmond and Liam George revelled in the pressure of playing for their future and inspired a gutsy and worthy victory over the Grecians to boost their hopes of an extended stay at Gigg Lane.

If this is how his charges perform when their contracts are on the line then the Bury boss should put them all on week-to-week deals today.

Veteran defender Redmond was a colossus in the midst of a back four which confidently contained a threatening Exeter front line, winning every tackle and finding his passing boots when those around him were losing theirs.

While George showed great vision and hunger to create a wealth of openings for his front men, before picking an immaculate moment to grab his first goal for the club and wrap up a vital three points to lift Shakers to fifth in the table.