Blackpool 0, Bury 5

ON BLACKPOOL'S Golden Mile back in the 1930s there was an immensely popular sideshow exhibit known as the Rector of Stiffkey.

The story goes that this Norfolk clergyman had been turfed out of the Church of England for alleged misbehaviour with troubled young women whose souls he was supposed to be saving.

It was rumoured that Luke Gannon, a Blackpool showman, offered the disgraced parson £100 a week to sit in a barrel and assuage his guilt in front of scandal-hungry holidaymakers who couldn't get enough of his seedy revelations.

As an example of public humiliation it can have no equal in the town's history - but Saturday's events at Bloomfield Road must have pushed it close as Bury went on the rampage in an amazing five goal rout.

It was the Shakers biggest away win since a Phil Stant-inspired 5-1 mauling of Mansfield Town in October 1995 and was the best way possible of bouncing back from the previous weekend's disappointing home defeat by Notts County.

The lions share of the damage was done during a second half display that was as good as anything seen from the Shakers since those heady double promotion winning seasons.

Strangely, there was little evidence to predict that final scoreline in a scrappy opening period when goal chances were thin on the ground for both sides.

After 29 minutes Steve Redmond almost broke the deadlock with a curling effort that struck the post with Tony Caig in the Seasiders' goal well beaten.

Caig rode his luck on that occasion but there was nothing he could do a minute later when Chris Swailes powered home a header from Paul Reid's corner kick to give the Shakers the edge.

With goalscoring a particular problem for Nigel Worthington's side Warnock's men knew that a vital second goal could be the key to their first away win of the campaign.

It duly arrived five minutes after the interval after a sweet move that went the full length of the field. Paddy Kenny intelligently threw the ball out to Reid who picked out Darren Bullock with a measured ball to the edge of the box.

Bullock headed into the path of Andy Preece, back on his former stamping ground, and his left foot cross was converted by hapless Tangerines defender John Hills under pressure from Chris Billy.

At that point Bury's confidence seemed to grow and grow and there was nothing the Seasiders could to despite the best efforts of former Shaker Ian Hughes who worked manfully at the heart of the 'Pool defence while all around him fell apart.

Six minutes later Billy - whose after-match claim for the second goal seemed somewhat optimistic - made no mistake with Bury's third glancing a fine header past Caig from another tremendous cross by Reid.

The superb Shakers following on the Kop End just couldn't get enough of it and they were rewarded with a fourth after 62 minutes when, following a swift counter-attack, Preece fed former Blackpool loan star Ian Lawson who had all the time in the world to crack home his ninth goal of the season.

As the disgruntled home fans began to take their frustation out on manager Worthington several objects were thrown onto the pitch as things took a decidedly ugly turn for the 'Pool boss.

Substitutes Adrian Littlejohn and Paul Barnes entered the fray midway through the second period and it was the latter who wrapped up proceedings with a great header from a Chris Swailes cross for the Shakers fifth.

A minute later Preece left the field to a marvellous reception from home and away fans alike as Baichung Bhutia got his first taste of first team away action in the final minutes. And after the game delighted Bury boss Neil Warnock reckoned the Seasiders got off lightly with only five.

"That's a cracking result and could have been even more emphatic as we created some great chances and one or two of the lads got a bit greedy near the end," he said.

"At half time I said to the players that they should take a grip of themselves, they owed the fans a win after we let them down at Oldham a few weeks ago and from the word go we went at them in the second half.

"When you are down like Blackpool are the second goal can kill you off and we needed to get one quickly to affect their confidence, which is what happened."

The win keeps the Shakers hot on the tails of the early leaders in a tight Division Two table and it's encouraging to note that they are now the section's highest scorers with 23 goals, testimony to Warnock's decision to employ a more positive approach both home and away.

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