Bury suffered a second defeat in three matches coming up short in a 3-1 defeat away to lowly Litherland REMYCA on a wet and miserable evening in Sefton.

Dave McNabb named an unchanged side to the one that beat Burscough on the weekend, the only change to the bench saw sub keeper Russell Saunders take the spot vacated by the retired Lewis Alessandra. New arrival Nicky Adams was not included and would have to wait to make his fourth debut for the club.

Bury started the match as the more likely of the two sides. Bryan Ly had a shot well saved by REMY keeper Patrick McLoughlin while a Rustam Stepans cross to DJ Pedro was headed away for a corner at the last moment.

The home side soon began to put their own mark on proceedings, Elliot Toner had a pair of chances. The first he was granted too much time and space in the middle and the Litherland REMYCA midfielder fizzed a shot that only just cleared the crossbar and on the second teammate Morgan Falloh teed Toner up for a snapshot that Bury keeper Mitch Allen had to push round the post.

Litherland then took the lead. A simple ball over the top saw Nathan Corness split the defence and charge on goal. Allen raced out to try and clear the ball before the REMYCA forward could reach it but lost the race. Corness slipped past the goalkeeper and was left with an empty net to pass into to open the scoring.

It was quickly 2-0 as the Shakers defensive frailties were laid bare. Another long ball forward saw James Hammill win the ball and manage to take a shot despite pressure from his marker. The ball beat Allen but seemed to be drifting wide before Morgan Falloh followed up and tapped home his sides’s second of the evening.

The visitors needed a response but found it difficult to fashion a decent chance. Ruben Jerome had the ball in the back of the net but was flagged for offside while Cam Fogerty got on the end of a cross but fired the ball some way over the crossbar. The Shakers went into the break two goals down and in need of an inspiration to turn things around.

Out for the second half Bury changed shape, added Alex Cherera to the attack and brought in an additional centre back in Lewis Earl. The initial revival however came from their in-form forward. An early corner was sent in by Stepans who found DJ Pedro at the far post. He easily nodded in his ninth Bury goal in as many matches. Coming so early in the second half it was the perfect start to what the travelling Bury fans hoped would turn into a comeback.

The equaliser would just not come for the Shakers. Stepans and Pedro saw shots blocked and McLoughlin made saves from a Cherera shot and a Stepans free kick while a cross into the REMYCA box was just asking to find the perfect finish but no man in yellow could make contact.

Then Bury were back to square one. Once again a long ball forward beat the Bury defence and allowed Corness to break through. He rounded Allen again and passed into an empty net again. Though coming against the run of play the Shakers had it all to do and time was running out.

The remaining substitutes Coughlan and Babayan were added to the mix but with little effect, there was one last chance for the visitors, Stepans firing a thumping shot at point-blank range that McLoughlin did well to save but in truth Bury were already well beaten.

While the Shakers remain well in contention in the promotion race the recent run of poor results reflected by a longer spell of indifferent performances out on the pitch should be cause for concern. The usually stout Bury defence that had not conceded more than two in a match since opening day have now leaked nine goals in their last three outings. Up front, the Shakers score plenty of goals but in matches like these a clinical edge can make the difference. Litherland had it and Bury did not.

The Shakers now at the end of a spate of Merseyside away trips will hope home comforts will bring a change in fortune as they look forward to a December played mostly at Gigg Lane.