BURY 1 - CREWE ALEXANDRA 0

THREE league games - no goals conceded, the Gigg Lane goal-misers are back in business!

But don't let that statistic fool you into believing the Warnock revolution has instilled a large chunk of negative thinking into the Shakers play - far from it.

Anyone who saw the wilful destruction of Dario Gradi's Crewe side on Saturday couldn't help but notice a more confident attacking approach to the job in hand.

Bury's twenty-one goal attempts to four for the visitors tells its own story and a 1-0 result certainly flattered Alex, who, but for the form of Aussie goalkeeper Jason Kearton, would have gone home on the end of a good hammering.

The keeper denied Andy Preece with two superb saves in the second half and earned praise from both managers after the game.

"Kearton had a magnificent match," said Warnock. "If it hadn't been for him we'd have won by a lot more," while Gradi agreed that the former Everton reserve kept his side in the game.

However, there was nothing he could do about Laurent D'Jaffo's 35th minute winner when the French star powerfully headed Rob Matthews' cross despite a vain attempt to clear by Alex defender Chris Lightfoot.

But D'Jaffo, who is rapidly achieving cult status with the Shakers fans, would be the first to acknowledge the part the hard-working Preece is playing in their partnership and their growing understanding looks like paying dividends in the coming months.

For Crewe's £650,000 record-signing Rodney Jack, making his league debut after work permit problems, it was a miserable afternoon.

He was rendered impotent by former Alex defender Andy Woodward who played the game of his life to nullify the St Vincent international. How Gradi must have rued the day he let him join the Shakers on a free transfer three years ago. Tactically, Warnock chose to switch to a two man midfield with Mark Patterson back on the bench and Matthews operating on the right.

And the fleet-footed wide man was at the heart of most of the Shakers good work in a one-sided first period.

Ten minutes into the game he got in a shot on the turn from 20 yards that only just cleared Kearton's bar then twelve minutes later delivered an early ball into the box that Preece blazed high over.

Three minutes before he broke the deadlock D'Jaffo was inches away from another Matthews cross and he almost doubled his tally a minute from the break when Kearton got down well to his header after Chris Lucketti had helped on a Daws long throw.

The swashbuckling Shakers continued to carve out all the openings in the second half.

Seven minutes after the restart Kearton reacted superbly to make a brilliant one-handed save from Preece's first time volley from a Daws cross then D'Jaffo sent Matthews haring down the right but his powerful low drive was easily coped with by Kearton.

There was a similar outcome from an identical move after 70 minutes when Preece reacted first to another fine ball by Daws but once again Kearton got down well to save low to his left. Confirmation that it just wasn't to be the former Blackpool striker's day arrived a minute later.

When Rob Matthews free kick was floated into the danger zone Lucketti's looping header rebounded off the crossbar and fell invitingly for Preece but he completely miscued his flicked effort and the ball sailed over the bar with Kearton nowhere.

"We worked very hard for each other on a very hot day and there were one or two unsung heroes out there," said Warnock.

"Andy Woodward did a superb job marking Rodney Jack and on the one occasion he got past him he even recovered to get in a tackle.

"I'm delighted for Laurent he took his goal well and is showing just what a good player he can be for us when he gets fitter.

"Chris Swailes was also magnificent considering we only found out yesterday that he'd dropped a wardrobe on his foot and broken his little toe, but as I'm a chiropodist I told him he'd be okay to play," he grinned.

And there was a vote of confidence for the Shakers from disappointed Crewe boss Gradi.

"I think Bury will do fine this season as long as they score goals and remain confident.

"The Frenchman up front is a good acquisition, Preece and Matthews are lively and they are a force to be reckoned with, the back three are excellent and I've always liked Johnrose and Daws.

"They are a physical side and good at what they do but whether they have the quality up front remains to be seen.

"They were certainly better than us today and should have put the game beyond us on the balance of play."

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