BATTLING BURY WIN A NEW FAN IN EXETER BOSS BALL

Super Shakers

Jet-heeled Lyons is on target again

Bury 3 Exeter 1

BATTLING Bury have won themselves a surprise new fan - Alan Ball.

The midfield tiger of England's 1966 World Cup triumph saw his Exeter team mauled by the Shakers' mean machine.

Ball, impressed by relegation-threatened Bury' tough tackling and never-say-die spirit that epitomised his own game, branded his own side's performance as "pathetic". Yet of Bury he said: "If I was in Mr Walsh's shoes I would be very

Report By Peter Spencer

Bury manager Mike Walsh, who dropped out- of-form striker Liam Robinson and fullback Roger Stanislaus, said: "In the circumstances, it was our best performance of the season." He picked a team of out- and-out fighters for a match the Shakers just had to win to have any chance of avoiding the drop. After a dull start, the game exploded into life when leading scorer Ian Stevens unselfishly set up trialist Darren Lyons, who steered home his fourth goal in his first five league games. Exeter equalised following their first serious sortie into the home side's half through substitute Gary Marshall. But veteran midfielder and team coach Ian Wilson scored his first goal for Bury when he was first to react in a crowded goalmouth. That killer strike just before the interval set up a second half of virtual one way traffic, yet the Shakers scored only once through Stevens and had to rely on some brave goalkeeping by Gary Kelly. Wilson said afterwards: "It's taken me time to adjust to the pace of the Third Division but I enjoyed myself tonight. My goal couldn't have come at a better time, giving us momentum for the second half."

Both Wilson and Walsh had a special word of praise for jet-heeled Lyons, who has rapidly emerged the crowd favour- ite. The fans chanted: "Sign him up" - and that's just what Bury will have to do unless they want to risk losing their new found jewel.

Goals:
Lyons (26 min), Wilson (40), Stevens (76) for Bury.
Marshall (36) for Exeter.

FORM BURY:
Kelly 8, GUIDE Hughes 7, Kearney 7, Mauge 8, "FLITCROFT 9, Knill 7, Lyons 8, Hulme 7, Stevens 8, Parkinson 8, Wilson 8.
Subs Robinson and Stanislaus (neither used).