Bury 4 Colchester United 1

COLCHESTER United were walloped at struggling Bury in a one-sided League One encounter at a rain-soaked Gigg Lane this afternoon.

Goals from Mike Grella and Shaun Harrad, on 40 and 43 minutes, sent the Shakers on their way to only a second victory in their last 16 games.

Giles Coke rifled in the third in the 56th minute, and although Tom Eastman reduced the arrears with his first goal for the U’s just a minute later, a Colchester comeback never looked likely.

And David Worrall made the game safe for the hosts by smashing home his side’s fourth in the 73rd minute.

Bury’s two quickfire goals, just before the break, were both bagged in spite of some heroics from Ben Williams.

Grella broke the deadlock on 40 minutes. Williams beat away Efe Sodje’s close-range header, from Steven Schumacher’s free-kick, and the U’s keeper recovered to block the follow-up shot by Grella.

However, Williams could not save his side for a third time as Grella scrambled home the loose ball from inside the six-yard box.

Bury were denied a second goal by another wonder save from Williams in the 42nd minute. Harrad’s flick header from David Worrall’s free-kick looked a goal all the way, only for the acrobatic Williams to claw the ball around his far post while at full stretch.

Yet the Shakers did double their lead from the ensuing corner. Williams again pulled off a tremendous save, to prevent Kayode Odejayi’s header from flying into the net for an own goal. But the alert Harrad was in the right place to nod home the rebound.

Bury netted their third in the 56th minute, and this time Williams had no answer to Coke’s ferocious shot. The midfielder timed his run to perfection, racing onto Grella’s through ball to blast into the near corner of the net.

The U’s pulled a goal back almost immediately, to at least give themselves hope. Eastman obliged with a pinpoint header from Anthony Wordsworth’s corner, to rattle up his first goal for the club.

But any thoughts of a Colchester comeback were dashed by Worrall, who beat Williams all ends up with a fierce angled drive in the 73rd minute.

This win boosted Bury’s points tally to 49, and so was a big step towards ensuring their League One status for another season.

The U’s have now failed to win in nine games.

Squads

BURY: Bond, Jones, Sodje, Clarke, Skarz, Worrall (sub Hughes, 87), Schumacher, Coke, Sweeney (sub Carrington, 76), Grella, Harrad (sub Picken, 90+2). Unused subs: Hughes, Elford-Alliyu.

COLCHESTER UNITED: Williams, Wilson, Heath, Eastman, Rose, Duguid (sub Henderson, 61), Izzet, Bond, Wordsworth (sub Gillespie, 71), Sears (sub Vincent, 61), Gillespie. Odejayi. Unused subs: Massey, White.

Referee: Geoff Eltringham (Tyne & Wear)

Attendance: 3,119