Bury manager Graham Barrow had the luxury of selecting Danny Swailes, to replace the suspended Colin Woodthorpe, as well as the increasingly influential Barry-Murphy who had recovered from the niggles that saw him substituted at half time on Tuesday night.

The first ten minutes of this Lancashire derby were played at a frantic pace.  Both Nugent for Bury and Cash for Rochdale were asking serious questions of the opposition defenders but it was Holt who had the first scoring opportunity 11 minutes into the game.  A free kick into the area was flicked on by Tait and the ball fell to Holt who had managed to time his run to perfection and create space behind the Shakers defenders.  Garner moved quickly off his line and smothered the ball out for a corner but it was a warning that the Shakers needed to heed.

It was Holt again who created the next goalscoring chance when he got onto the end of a Clarke free kick from the edge of the area.  Fortunately for Bury the Dale striker hit the ball straight into the pitch and the ball ballooned up high and was tipped over the bar for another corner.

A foul by Flitcroft on Clarke allowed him to manufacture another dangerous attempt and this time he hammered the free kick directly at goal but the ball cannoned off the cross bar and away for a corner.

Just minutes later and the Shakers were unable to clear yet another superbly delivered Dale corner.  The ball eventually fell to Cash but he blazed the ball high over the bar from 12 yards.

An incident off the ball resulted in bookings for Nugent and Heald after the linesman attracted the attention of the referee to something that he had seen.

An incensed Nugent extracted his revenge with a scintillating run down the Shakers right flank.  He held off the Dale challengers and passed the ball across the edge of the area to Mattis who turned his marker and smashed the ball past the diminutive Edwards for the Shakers opener.

Rochdale 0 Bury 1

On 28 minutes Heald was replaced by Griffiths. 

Just two minutes later and Nugent forced a spectacular save from Edwards by turning quickly in the area and striking a magnificent shot at goal following on from great approach play by Kennedy.

Griffiths had an opportunity to equalise with a header from a Clarke corner kick but he put his effort high over the bar.

The first half of this tough encounter drew to a close with Bury retaining their one goal advantage.  Serious physical questions were being asked of the Shakers and this current batch of combatants showed themselves to be more than equal to the physical approach of Rochdale.

Half Time Score: Rochdale 0 Bury 1

With barely a minute registering on the stopwatch Chris Porter broke clear of the Dale rearguard but despite having much more time than he realised he hit his shot straight at the keeper.

The Shakers were not to be denied and a handball on the Shakers left allowed Flitcroft to deliver a dipping cross into the area which was superbly headed into the goal by the returning Danny Swailes.

Rochdale 0 Bury 2

Rochdale were stung into a response and McCourt charged at the Bury defence and effortlessly glided past the Shakers tackles before curling a shot past the last covering defender that was easily saved by Garner.

Nugent was continuing his single handed campaign to terrorise the Rochdale defence and this time he beat two defenders to the ball on the right side of the area, cut inside and brought a spectacular save out of Edwards.  A mere handful of seconds had passed and Nugent broke out of defence and charged towards the Dale half of the pitch.  As the defenders closed him down he passed the ball to the fast breaking Porter who delivered a superb cross field pass that was controlled and volleyed by Flitcroft but his effort was wide of the far post.

An hour into the game and Gallimore was replaced by Goodhall and McCourt by McGivern as Rochdale looked to change the pattern of the game.

A Barry-Murphy corner was again met by the head of Swailes but this time his effort was hooked off the line by a desperate Dale defender and the breaking ball hammered against the crossbar by Porter.

On 66 minutes Terry Dunfield replaced Barry-Murphy.

Nugent continued to impress and an audacious lob had Edwards scrambling back to his line as the ball just cleared the crossbar

The substitution took on inspired proportions when the Canadian midfielder controlled the ball and charged at the retreating Dale defenders.  He spotted the superb run that Nugent had made and delivered a pinpoint pass into the area where Nugent controlled the ball, rounded the keeper, and rolled the ball into the empty net to give the Shakers a well deserved three goal advantage.

Rochdale 0 Bury 3

Mattis and Nugent were replaced by Newby and Whaley.  Needless to say the Shakers striker received a standing ovation from the Bury section of the crowd (and probably quite a few of the Dale fans as well!!).

The Shakers passed, moved, and ran Rochdale ragged as the spirit visibly drained from the Dale outfit.  Bury simply outclassed their opponents in every aspect of the game and administered a footballing lesson to their near neighbours.

It was just like watching Brazil.  Honest!!!

Final Score: Rochdale 0 Bury 3    

Bury

Garner, Unsworth, Kennedy, Swailes, Challinor, Scott, Mattis, Flitcroft, Barry-Murphy, Nugent, Porter

Subs

Barrass, Newby, Dunfield, Whaley, Smith

Rochdale

Edwards, Evans, Heald, Burgess, Gallimore, Cash, Jones, Clarke, McCourt, Holt, Tait

Subs

Gilks, Griffiths, Goodhall, Proberts, McGivern

Referee: G Salisbury

Assistants: RC Green and M Short

Fourth Official: A Rawcliffe