Alan Knill made one change to the starting line with Adam Rooney, fresh from his goal scoring exploits at Mansfield, swapping places with Glynn Hurst. The move was more than likely forced as Hurst pulled out of training on Thursday with a slight back problem.
The home side provided an early test with Charlie Lee threading a stunning ball through the middle of the park for Mackail-SMith to chase, thankfully though, the looming presence of Efe Sodje - complete with a new face mask - managed to stab the ball back towards Randolph. Moments later, some good work from Gnapke kept the ball in play and his whipped cross into the box saw Boyd attempt something of an acrobatic shot on goal, but his effort flew harmlessly wide of the mark.
Bury's first foray forward came moments later with Bishiop and Rooney combining, but Rooney's effort went the same wat as Boyd's moments before by going wide. Elliott Bennett supplied a glorious ball across the six yard box minutes later, through slightly too far forward for Rooney to latch onto and the home side managed to clear the ball to relative safety. It was Bennett again a short time later who received the ball from Haslam, his quick one two with Andy Bishop put the Posh under some pressure, but a quick clearance by the home side was eventually cleared.
Elliott Bennett again caused problems to the home side on nine minutes with another ball whipped in towards the six yard box, with Joe Lewis caught flat footed, the home side again managed to scramble the ball clear. An error at the back soon after allowed George Boyd to steal the ball, but hsi first touch saw the ball go wide. Boyd recovered quickly and managed to get the ball into the box where Mackail-Smith flashed a glancing header again wide of the target.
A 15th minute Dave Challinor long throw saw Jamie Day head the ball back out of play, Challinor's second throw brought another quick clearance up the field that eventualy saw David Buchanan slide out of play for a home throw. This throw was equally wasted with Steve Haslam finding Barry-Murphy whose attempted ball through the middle went straight to keeper Joe Lewis. A Bury free kick, following a foul on Adam Rooney on 19 minutes saw Bennett's delivery easily cleared, the Shakers came fighting back though with Brian Barry-Murphy attempting to curl the ball into the top corner, but his effort brought a stunning save from Joe Lewis to keep the Shakers at bay.
The game then entered into a five minute spell with both side making some alarming comical mistakes, mis-placed passes, wild shots at goal, mis-timed passes and a generally flat period of the game but that was quickly thrown aside with Keates playing a glorious defence splitting pass forward that thankfully went straight through to Darren Randolph. Chris Westwood made Randolph produce the goods later with a fice crisp shot on goal, the Bury keeper dived smartly to his right to collect the ball.
The Posh started to turn the screw on 27 minutes with Whelpdale again testing Randolph and the Bury keep more than equal to the task. George Boyd followed up and got the ball to Charlie Lee, but his effort flew wide of the target and out for a Bury goal kick. David Buchanan got himself a yellow card on the half hour with a challenge on Mackail-Smith, the resulting free kick saw Charlie Lee whip the ball across the six yard area but Mcleans header went back to Lee and his shot again went hopelessly wide of the target.
Error's in the home side's defence were again showing when Bury got a good spell of pressure with Andy Bishop collecting the ball from Barry-Murphy. The Shakers leading scorer did well to hold the ball before returning it to Barry-Murphy, his cross into the box should have been cleared but Morgan only got half a connection before skipping back to Rooney, a challenge though saw the home side clear the ball up the field. Elliott Bennett used his pace on 36 minutes and whipped the ball into the box from the touch line, although the home side cleared, the ball came straight back from Haslam before the home side slammed the ball up the park.
With Peterborough making plenty of mistakes with mis-placed pass's, the home crowd were becoming more and more frustrated as the came went on. A Bury corner on 41 minutes saw Joe Lewis tip the ball over the bar for a second corner, but Barry-Murphy's delivery this time was easily caught by the home keeper. The final minutes of the game brought much frustration for the home fans and with the Shakers showing a strong back line, hopes are high of a positive result from the game.
Half Time: Peterborough United 0 Bury 0
Darren Ferguson made one change at the break with Micah Hyde replacing Chris Whelpdale but it was the Shakers who flew out of the traps and earnt themselves a corner within seconds of the restart. The home defence though managed to get the ball clear. Bury came back again with Rooney skipping down the flank but his cross into the box saw Craig Morgan head clear.
Peterborough should have opened the scoring on 58 minutes with a good flowing move from the back to the front. The final ball into the box from Hyde though fell to Boyd, his header beat Darren Randolph but flew out of play off the upright. They had another good chance moments later when Gnapke's cross found McLean, but again his header went inches wide of the post and out of play.
Andy Bishop almost stunned the home side moments later when he collected the ball from Barry-Murphy, his turn and shot looked to be heading for the top corner but Joe Lewis again used his large height to just tip the ball out for a corner. Barry-Murphy's corner though was pushed out of play by Morgan for a Bury throw.
Peterborough took the lead on 59 minutes when Claude Gnapke delivered the ball to the far post, Dean Keates leapt for the ball and looped the ball over a stranded Darren Randolph and into the back of the net. A goal that could send the Posh to the top of the table.
Goal: Bury 1 Peterborough United 0 (Dean Keates 59)
Joe Lewis was again called into action on 63 minutes when a fierce drive on goal caught him unawares, diving at full stretch, the posh keeper manager to get a fingertip on the ball to push it clear where Clude Gnapke lashed the ball away from danger.
Claude Gnapke suddenly burst away from the Posh defence on 72 minutes and Glynn Hurst got himself a yellow card with an awful challenge, from the free kick though, the Shakers quickly won the ball back though Hurst was quickly dispossesed by Craig Morgan on the edge of the box.
Moments later, it was Gnapke who went into the referee's book when Nicky Adams charged down the flank, a deliberate 'tug back' by Gnapke brought him a yellow card and earnt a free kick for the Shakers in a very good position. With a five man wall for the home side,including Dave Challinor, Andy Bishop curled the ball around the wall, but also around the post and out for a goalkick.
Peterborough almost doubled their lead with seven minutes of the game left when McClean fired at goal, but his effort drifted wide of the post and out for a Bury goal kick, though in reality Darren Randolph always had the shot covered. Glynn Hurst had a good chance on 87 minutes with a header from the far post, but again keeper Joe Lewis held the ball with a clean catch.
The game wore down to the end with the Shakers pushing the Posh all the way looking for an equaliser, Buchanan raiding down the left and Haslam doing equally as well down the right. The pressure from Bury though didnt quite bring any clear cut chances as the home side managed to clear anything Bury threw at them.
The game finished with a Peterborough free kick following a hand ball, with the home side in ni rish to get the ball forward, their dead ball quickly broke down and Bury cleared, though the home side did get the ball forward again, Buchanan manged to put his foot through the ball to put it out for a throw before referee Phil Josling brought the game to an end.
Final Score: Peterborough United 1 Bury 0
Bury: Darren Randolph, Paul Scott, Dave Challinor, Steve Haslam, Andy Bishop, Brian Barry-Murphy, David Buchanan, Nicky Adams (Yeo 86), Elliott Bennett (Baker 86), Adam Rooney (Hurst 68), Efe Sodje
On the Bench: Jim Provett, Ben Futcher, Ritchie Baker, Glynn Hurst, Simon Yeo
Peterborough United: Joe Lewis, Craig Morgan, Chris Westwood, Charlie Lee, Aaron Mclean, George Boyd, Dean Keates, Craig Mackail-Smith, Jamie Day, Chris Whelpdale (Hyde 45), Claude Gnakpa
On the Bench: Micah Hyde, Scott Rendell, Liam Hatch, James McKeown, Daniel Blanchett
