BURY 0, IPSWICH TOWN 1

IF there was any justice in the world then Bury's trip to London next weekend would be an end-of-season holiday outing.

Instead, Sunday afternoon's clash at Loftus Road becomes the biggest game of the season - a make or break 90 minutes which will end in tears of sorrow or joy.

On Saturday's performance, you'd bet your life savings that Stan Ternent's boys will come home with the three points.

But on Saturday's final scoreline, you should know better than to gamble on this great game we call football.

It was soul-destroying to see a side produce such a stunning display of football, particularly in the first 45 minutes, only to be robbed of even a share of the points.

Some champagne soccer was only overshadowed by the brilliance of Town's last line of defence - England B goalkeeper Richard Wright.

Without question the best player on the park, he pulled off a string of super saves including a 15-minute block which defied belief.

There can be no arguments, however, about the quality of the winning strike.

On a day when all eyes were on former Shaker David Johnson, it was a 25-yard blinder from veteran defender Mike Stockwell which proved the difference at the final whistle.

The 33-year-old is Town's longest serving player. He doesn't score many, indeed this was only his second goal of the season, but he will score few more important. Just when the game looked destined to end in deadlock, up stepped the right back to break Bury's hearts, denying the Shakers mathematical safety whilst securing his own side's place in the end-of-season play-offs.

Fortress Gigg, which had not witnessed defeat since January 27, was silenced.

Ipswich had failed to trouble Dean Kiely once in the entire 74 preceding minutes.

Yet Bury had enjoyed a bagful of chances through workaholic Rob Matthews, who so richly deserves his first goal of the season, and skipper Chris Lucketti, who forced Wright into action with a neat shot on the turn.

And then there was the shot which was so brilliantly stopped by the Ipswich 'keeper.

An 'on-target' header from midfield marvel Lennie Johnrose was redirected in mid-air by teammate Tony Ellis.

Amazingly, Wright palmed the shot away thanks to his split-second readjustment. It was clearly going to take something special to get past him.

Bury were less dominant in the second half as Ipswich boss George Burley changed tactics to combat Gigg Lane's bumpy playing surface.

Substitute Jamie Scowcroft injected some purpose into Town's game and striker Alex Mathie almost lobbed Kiely but failed to connect in a one-on-one position.

Matt Holland's goal-bound shot was blocked by the superb Lucketti on 64 minutes, before Stockwell's wonder goal 11 minutes later.

Bury did anything but surrender and so nearly grabbed an equaliser when Lucketti met a Gordon Armstrong corner only to see his header cleared off the line by Kieron Dyer and appeals fo

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