HALF-TIME: Mansfield Town 0-1 Bury, Tuesday 25th February

The Stags went into the six-pointer unchanged as the two clubs were hoping for third time lucky in playing the game as it had twice fallen foul to the weather and rain began falling an hour before kick-off.

Bury, who are starting to put some form together under new boss David Flitcroft, began the night three places behind Stags in the table in 20th but only two points adrift with two games in hand.

The Shakers had only lost once in their last nine League games and were unbeaten in five.

Bury threatened down the right in only the second minute, but Marriott managed to smother Jones’ dangerous low cross at the second attempt.

Mansfield then produced a chance as Clucas did well to skin Jones down the left and cross to Rhead at the far post, whose nod-down was grabbed by Jensen before Stevenson could pounce.

Jones complained he had been caught by Clucas’ arm as he challenged him before the cross and went down for lengthy treatment which ended with a bandage put round a cut and his shirt changed.

Tafazolli then headed Bury’s first corner clear at the near post.

McNulty got in a good block as Rhead and Clucas combined to get the ball to Stevenson in the box as we reached the 15-minute mark of a scrappy game, littered with loose passes.

Another hold-up followed on 21 minutes after Platt was caught by a high boot from Tafazolli.

Neither side had tested the keeper until Bury produced a goal out of nothing on 25 minutes.

Mayor was offered time and space on the ball just left of centre and threaded a perfectly-placed low finish from 20 yards just past Marriot’s outstretched fingers and inside the far post.

Clucas went down in the Bury box as Mills challenged soon after but was never likely to win a penalty.

Then Rhead helped a long ball forward on to Clucas seven yards out, but with two defenders closing in on him quickly, he could only manage to poke wide.

Nardiello robbed Tafazolli on the left and then sent Jones to the by-line for a cross that beat Marriott’s fingers and saw Sutton superbly head out for a corner before any opponent could find a finish.

On 33 minutes Clucas made room for himself to get away a powerful low finish at the Bury goal, Jensen always in the way.

A long Clements free kick found Howell on the left of the box, but his header was too near the keeper.

Instead, the visitors almost doubled their lead after a loose pass from Tafazolli on 39 minutes.

Mayor whipped in a low, powerful cross from the right and Nardiello met it first time with a rising finish that the Bury players felt Marriott tipped over, the referee giving only a goalkick.

Clucas was high and wild soon afterwards.

Amazingly there were chants of ‘what a load of rubbish’ with just 41 minutes on the watch from home fans in the South Stand, which was hardly likely to encourage the players.

Five added minutes produced nothing as Stags left the pitch to a mixture of boos and applause.

STAGS: Marriott; Sutton, Dempster, Tafazolli; Westlake, Clements, Stevenson, Howell, Daniel; Rhead, Clucas. Subs: Dyer, Beevers, Hutchinson, Meikle, McGuire, Cain, Palmer.

BURY: Jensen, McNulty, Jones, Sedgwick, Mayor, Tutte, Nardiello, Platt, Carroll, Veseli, Mills. Subs: Charles-Cook, Hinds, Proctor, Miller, Forrester, Burke, Dudley

REFEREE:Stuart Attwell of Nuneaton

SCORERS: Mayor, Bury (22)