Bury vs Torquay United - Reported by Hannah Ingram at Gigg Lane
After leaving Lincoln with no points last weekend, Bury returned to home turf for their final home league game of the season. Facing a Torquay side whose future looked uncertain in the early stages of the season, the Gulls now have league safety assured and were playing for pride. Bury, on the other hand, were looking for the points to assure a play off place. Depending on other results affecting them, the Shakers could have all but cemented their place in the top seven with three points today.
A promising attack from Bury on 8 minutes courtesy of a long ball from Cameron Belford seemed to open up the Torquay defence; headed down into the path of Andy Morrell by Andy Bishop, he passed out wide to David Worrall whose shot from just inside the box went wide of the right post.
Nicky Wroe wasted a good opportunity for the visitors on 12 minutes after a neat pass out to the right by Scott Rendell; he put power behind the ball but blasted it well wide.
Yellow card for Bury on 19 minutes - David Buchanan
A corner from BBM on the right set Efe Sodje up on goal on 22 minutes; he headed the ball down but it bounced wide of the left post.
GOAL! Torquay took the lead on 37 minutes after the Bury back line failed to deal with a neat ball in from Robertson on the right. Mustapha Carayol had two chances on goal; the first was blocked but the rebound fell kindly back into his path and he finished it from close range.
Shakers 0 Gulls 1
Soon after conceding, Bury were back at the other end of the pitch with Andy Morrell; he managed to get in front of a poor backpass but couldn't put the ball in the net.
Subsitution for Bury on 42 minutes - James Poole on for David Worrall
Two minutes of added time were indicated by the fourth official as Bury continued to look for a way back into the game. Losing David Worrall to what looked like a knee injury had been a blow, but Poole looked to get his foot into the game on the left wing as a replacement.
Yellow card for Bury in added time - Efe Sodje
Time was soon called on the first half; Bury had a few chances but failed to capitalise, whilst Torquay had taken their easiest chance and converted it to take the lead. Due to their current situation and other results around them, the Shakers were sitting in tenth place in the table at the break.
Half Time - Shakers 0 Gulls 1
Soon after the restart, Bury had a penalty appeal turned down after Bishop appeared to be pulled down in the box.
Torquay wasted a free header on goal on 49 minutes; a corner from the right met the head of Mark Ellis who headed over the bar from close range.
Bishop broke clear on 59 minutes after a cheeky pass from Poole, but his shot was deflected away for a corner. Morrell beat the offside trap moments later, before passing back to Bishop; he looped a cross over into the box for Dawson, but he headed over the bar.
Yellow card for Torquay on 66 minutes - Lee Mansell
A free kick from BBM was drifted into the box and aimed for the far post; it was met by the head of Cresswell but he headed over from close range.
Substitution for Torquay on 70 minutes - Unan O'Kane on for Mustapha Carayol
Substitution for Bury on 70 minutes - Ryan Lowe on for Michael Jones
Bury thought they'd pulled a goal back on 73 minutes after Poole blasted home, but the referee had already blown his whistle for an apparent foul by Ryan Lowe. Lowe was handed a precious ball forward after Sodje headed the ball into his path moments later, but his shot ran across the goal and out of play.
Subsitution for Torquay on 79 minutes - Danny Stevens on for Elliot Benyon
A cross from Bishop on the right hand side on 81 minutes met the diving head of Lowe in front of goal but he headed wide.
GOAL! Torquay doubled their lead with minutes remaining after Bury were caught on the break following a free kick from Poole. Danny Stevens did well to control the ball on the right of the box and finished by putting the ball in the bottom left hand corner.
Shakers 0 Gulls 2
Four minutes of added time were indicated by the fourth official as Gigg Lane steadily became an emptier ground.
GOAL! Torquay stuck the boot into the Shakers into added time by adding a third goal to their tally. Scott Rendell controlled the ball on the right of the box and finished his chance with ease.
Shakers 0 Gulls 3
Time was eventually called on an awful result for the Shakers. Despite starting to play some better stuff in the second half, there was no denying they were steamrolled in the final stages by a team in brilliant form. A late goal for Dagenham meant Bury were moved out of the play offs into 8th place, and the final game of the season at Northampton became very much a 'winner takes all' situation.
Full Time - Shakers 0 Gulls 3
Attendance - 3,492 (204 visitors)
