Bournemouth 1 Bury 0, by Steve Canavan AFTER being the hero so often it was perhaps predictable that Jon Newby would have an off day sooner or later.

The 22-year-old, who moved from Liverpool to Gigg Lane last week, squandered two gilt-edged opportunities as the Shakers slipped to defeat on the Dorset coast.

And the result almost certainly rules out any lingering hopes of Bury making the play-offs.

Newby's best chance to add to his tally of five goals in ten Bury games arrived early on after he latched onto an Eddie Howe back pass but could only shoot tamely at Bournemouth keeper Gareth Stewart.

Minutes later the lively forward missed again, this time sloppily lobbing a shot too high from the edge of the area with Stewart stranded.

The price of those misses became clear when the prolific Jermaine Defoe, on loan from West Ham, scored his 15th goal of the season in the 21st minute.

It arrived against the run of play after Bury's good start, a rare mistake from Chris Armstrong allowing Defoe time and space to rifle a shot past Paddy Kenny, though the Bury keeper was unlucky after managing to half stop the shot.

Bury couldn't manage to equalise which left boss Andy Preece ruing Newby's failure to hit the target.

''Jon had some really good chances and I expected him to take at least two of them with the form he has been in lately,'' said the manager.

''We paid the price for not taking our chances and that's why we have come out of the game with nothing.

''We were the better team for the first 25 minutes which is not often the case when you travel long distances. Away sides normally start slowly but we didn't.

''But we were poor in our play after they took the lead and we have got to look at what happened in the final hour and work out ways of improving.''

Even after going behind the Shakers might have grabbed a point. Colin Cramb made the most of another Eddie Howe error on the hour but his stinging effort was well saved by Stewart diving to his left.

Steve Redmond headed a Nick Daws free kick inches wide four minutes later and right at the death substitute Ady Littlejohn caused havoc in the Bournemouth defence but his low cross somehow avoided everyone.

Shot wide

A goal though then would have been tough on the home side who had plenty of chances to secure the points during the second half.

Claus Jorgensen ran past four players but at the crucial moment mis-hit a shot into Kenny's arms and Howe shot wide with only the Bury keeper to beat after a brilliant exchange of passes with Defoe.

Best chance of the afternoon fell to Steve Fletcher but after being played in by Jorgensen he was superbly denied by Kenny who bravely flung himself at the ball and deflected the effort for a corner.

A disappointing afternoon then but at least it wasn't as bad as the corresponding fixture at Gigg Lane in October. Then Bury had been beaten 5-2. However, that won't come as much comfort to Andy Preece.

He now who now has to get his team firing on all cylinders again for Tuesday's Gigg Lane clash with sixth-placed Stoke City.

BURY: Kenny 8, Billy 6, Hill 7, C Swailes 7, Redmond 6, Armstrong 6, Daws 7, Reid 7, Forrest 6, Cramb 7, Newby 6. Subs: Littlejohn (for Redmond 65), Jarrett (for Forrest 71), Preece (for Billy 84), Barnes, Halford.