Halifax Town 6 Bury 1

Bury turned up for the game a little before six o'clock, and apart from Jake Sedgmore's screamer of a volley in the second half, the highlights for the Shakers stop there.

Halifax layed their intentions on the floor in the very first minute of the game when a stong run down the flank from Justin Bowler released Lewis Killeen on the edge of the box, his fierce drive at goal though was blocked by John Fitzgerald.  A minute later and they were in again when Darren Mansaram, who scored for Grimsby last season against Bury, made a strong run forward but was brought to a halt after straying offside.

Bury had a corner on three minutes that was expertly delivered into the Halifax keepers arms without causing any problems to the home defence, a minute later and following some good work from David Buchanan, Stuart Barlow crashed a shot at goal that drifted harmlessly wide of the target.

Simon Whaley, who seemed to be having a one man campaign to win the game forged forward on 12 minutes and ghosted past two defenders, but his shot on goal did not match the run and again the ball flew wide of the mark

The turning point of the whole game came on 14 minutes when Killeen raced at goal with only Dootson to beat, the Bury shot stopper pulled off a good diving save to tap the ball away from Killeen, but also brought the Shaymen's striker down.  Unbelievably the official pointed to the spot and then produced Craig Dootson's first red card of his career.  The ball was cleanly won and we have photographic evidence to prove it.

Young Aaron Grundy replaced the sacrificial Tom Youngs and took over in between the sticks, his first job of the evening though was to pick the ball out of the back of the net after skipper Craig Midgley hit the ball home.

Goal: Halifax Town 1 Bury 0 - Midgley (Pen)

Five minutes later and the home side almost made it two when Midgley found himself in a good shooting position, though this time the Shaymen's skipper must have thought the Rugby was on as his drive flew high over the bar.

Halifax doubled their lead on 27 minutes when Bowler, who not for the first time had skinned young Andy Parrish down the flank, curled the ball into the box where Mansaram dived to connect and send a powerful header into the bottom corner.

Goal: Halifax Town 2 Bury 0 - Mansaram

Simon Whaley, still on his one man mission, tried in vain to get the Shakers back into the game on 31 minutes when he collected the ball in midfield, his quick turn and shot though failed with the ball lacking in both pace and direction.  Another Whaley effort on 39 minutes was well held by keeper Lee Butler.

Bury's best, and probably only spell of pressure came within the dying seconds of the first half, another long mazy run from Whaley produced a good save from Butler who tipped the ball out for a corner, Kennedy's corner was met on the head from Stuart Barlow, but again Butler saved well to deny the Bury striker.

At half time Bury have a monsterous battle on their hands, down to ten men and two goals down.  Bury had offered little and apart from some good runs from Simon Whaley who has tested the keeper twice, they look dead and buried.

Half Time:  Halifax Town 2 Bury 0

Tom Kennedy was replaced at half time by Nicky Adams, Kennedy had taken a knock on the ankle and already is doubtful for Chester.  The second spell began with Bury again turning up, and Halifax playing all the football.  A corner within 60 seconds of play commencing was driven into the six yard box, Mansaram connected and sent the ball goal bound.  Young Aaron Grundy produced a good save but couldn't hold onto the ball and the giant striker pounced to stab the ball home

GOAL:  Halifax Town 3 Bury 0 - Mansaram

Two minutes later and Bury suddenly remembers how to hit the ball, a Whaley corner was played short to Nicky Adams, he curled the ball into the box where central defender Adam Quinn knocked the ball clear, but Jake Sedgemore connected with the ball outside the area and sent the ball crashing through the Halifax defence, full on the volley, into the back of the net to give the Shakers a little hope.

Goal:  Halifax Town 3 Bury 1 - Sedgemore

Halifax took another four or five minutes to knock the ball around with some crisp passing, cross field balls delivered onto a sixpence before the ball fell to Steve Haslam outside the Bury area, he sidestepped a challenge from Dave Buchanan, before exquisitely curling the ball over a despairing Aaron Grundy to put the home side further in the lead

Goal:  Halifax Town 4 Bury 1 - Haslam

Another two minutes and the rout was almost complete, Bowler again tore the Bury defence to pieces and smashed a deep cross to the far post, Lewis Killeen had the time and space to tap the ball home to make it five to the home side

Goal:  Halifax Town 5 Bury 1 - Killeen

And we still hadn't reached 60 minutes!

Thank god Aaron Grundy was on form, the Bury youth team keeper pulled off some excellent saves to deny Mansaram and Killen to keep the score as low as it was.

Amazingly it took Halifax a full 17 minutes to score again, only this time Haslams cross was met by Andy Parrish, his attempt to knock the ball clear though, saw the ball fly into Grundy's goal to seal the Shakers embarrassment.

Goal:  Halifax Town 6 Bury 1 - Parrish (OG)

With the game over, Halifax Town then produced a show on how to keep the ball and how to pass the ball, several hundred Bury fans were probably halfway down the M62 by then anyway, and one commentator wanted to get back on the bus.

Let's concentrate on the league.  Several senior players let themselves down, they let their team-mates down and they let the fans down.  Hopefully that will be the end of the bad performances; after all, there was at least six games of bad performances out of the way - in one night

Man of the Match:  Aaron Grundy, not at fault for any of the six goals and if it wasn't for him, it could have been a lot worse, as if anything can be as worse as this.

Halifax Town:  Butler, Haslam, Doughty, Quinn, Midgley (Wright 72), Foster (Thomspon 72), Killeen, Leister, Young, Mansaram, Bowler (Forrest 65)

On the Bench:  Dunbavin, Senior, Thomspon, Wright, Forrest

Bury:  Dootson, Parrish, Kennedy (Adams 45), Hardiker (Quigley 65), Fitzgerald, Sedgemore, Buchanan, Whaley, Youngs (Grundy 16), Scott, Barlow

On the Bench:  Grundy, Quigley, Adams, Barrow, Hitchen

Sent Off: Dootson 14