Bury manager Kevin Blackwell apologised to fans following his side’s lacklustre display as the Shakers’ survival hopes took another battering.
A Jamie Proctor double ensured a third consecutive home defeat for Bury who are now eight points from relegation safety.
After claiming a surprising win at third-paced Swindon in midweek, Blackwell was left clueless with the dramatic drop in performance levels of his players.
“I have to apologise to the fans because I thought that was a woeful display,” said Blackwell. “Where that has come from I do not know.
“That’s the worst I’ve seen us, on the back of a great victory during the week – I think everyone realises now why it was such a tough job.
“It was awful, but I just can’t see where that’s come from because they were as high as kites with confidence going into.”
The game saw ex-Bury boss Ritchie Barker return to Gigg Lane for the first time since his departure to Crawley Town on the eve of the current season.
Despite the potentially hostile environment, the man who led the Shakers to League Two promotion in 2011 left his old hunting ground with no complaints.
Bury have just 11 games remaining this season but face three of League One’s bottom-six teams in the next two weeks with games against Portsmouth, Scunthorpe and Colchester.
The Shakers remain under their second transfer embargo – and yesterday Blackwell revealed a few of his squad are playing for free.
“There are three or four here who don’t earn a penny and I can’t thank them enough,” he told BBC Radio Manchester.
“Gone are the days where clubs like ours can buy players and have 22 players where they’re all your own.
“I’ve said to those players ‘even though I can’t pay you, I’ll play you’ and they’ve accepted it.
“These players are putting their careers on the line and hoping to re-establish their careers for nothing.”
Image courtesy of Bury FC, via YouTube, with thanks.
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