Football: Battling Bury dig in for victory

Bury 2 Bolton Wanderers 1

THE BURY manager, Neil Warnock, saluted his side's fighting spirit after watching them boost their survival hopes with victory over promotion- chasing Bolton at Gigg Lane.

Dean West and Chris Swailes grabbed the goals which saw the Shakers climb above Port Vale into 18th place, four points above the relegation zone. "All you can ask for is commitment and tonight the commitment was unbelievable," said Warnock. "On paper we haven't got a chance but we've been magnificent and I'm very proud of them. We've put a little bit more pressure on one or two other clubs tonight but what's the point of that if we slip up against West Brom and Port Vale?"

Neil Cox pulled a goal back for Bolton in injury-time but it was too little too late and Colin Todd's men remain in fifth place, maintaining their play-off chances.

With only win in their previous 21 outings Bury looked like sacrificial lambs but they carried the fight to Bolton. Carl Serrant, on loan from Newcastle, flighted in a high cross in the 30th minute which Bolton keeper Stephen Banks should have held.

But under pressure from Andy Preece he spilled the ball to midfielder West, who poked home a low shot from 10 yards despite Cox trying to intervene on the line.

The response from Bolton should have produced an equaliser and things looked ominous for the home side but at the end of the first half they struck again to take a stranglehold on the game when Swailes climbed high above a pack of players to power home a downward header from eight yards.

Bolton replied through Cox in the dying seconds.

Bury: Kiely, West, Serrant, Daws, Lucketti, Woodward, Swailes, Billy (Williams, 90), D'Jaffo (Barnes 66), Bullock, Preece. Substitutes not used: Littlejohn.

Bolton: Banks, Cox, Phillips, Frandsen, Todd, Fish, Johansen, Jensen, Gudjohnson, Taylor, Gardner. Substitutes not used: Warhurst, Fullarton, Hansen.

Referee: D Laws (Whitley Bay).