ALL good things must come to an end, but at least York City did not let what was a week to remember end without a fight.

Second only on goal difference in Division Three, a well attended open day and Terry Dolan claiming the manager of the month award - the Minstermen had been riding a crest of a wave before last night's defeat.

But, while City may well have fallen off their sailboard at Gigg Lane in terms of result, there was plenty of evidence to suggest nothing is beyond repair.

The passing on occasions was as crisp as pork crackling and a fistful of chances were created in a whole-hearted performance that warranted at least a point.

Much will be made of the so-called curse of the manager of the month award striking again, and true enough City could argue the rub of the green deserted them at some crucial moments.

But in reality it was a couple of costly defensive lapses, one swiftly followed by another, rather than jinxes that sealed City's fate.

After a frantic opening 20 minutes that produced little more than half chances for both sides, City started to find their feet and spray the ball around with no shortage of confidence.

But just as the Minstermen looked to be getting a grip on the game a bolt out of the blue saw the Shakers take the lead.

From deep within his own half, goalkeeper Glyn Garner launched a free-kick forward and the ball was flicked on all too easily by York-born Pawel Abbott.

The City defence was slow to respond but the livewire Jon Newby was on to it in a flash and from a tight angle took his shot early to squeeze the ball past Alan Fettis.

Six minutes later and just when the heads of a dazed and confused City appeared to be clearing, another sluggish reaction to danger saw Bury double their advantage.

Terry Dunfield was given far too much room out wide on the left to fire in a cross, which picked out the impressive Abbott.

The on-loan striker was some 18 yards from goal but was still able to outjump his marker and send a powerful header beyond the despairing dive of Fettis.

Both goals were stamped with class but it was tough on City, who hardly warranted being behind by one, never mind two.

And as the half closed there were more than a handful of sightings of the Shakers' goal to suggest City were not yet dead and buried.

The best two chances fell to Peter Duffield, who latched on to a short back pass from George Clegg but drove his shot from an acute angle across the face of the Bury goal.

His second fell in first-half stoppage time when Lee Nogan nodded down a punt forward from Fettis and the City striker let fly with a superbly struck volley from 30 yards that had Garner well beaten only for the post to intervene.

Given Duffield's form and fortune of late, it was perhaps an ominous sign that this wasn't going to be City's day.

That theory looked moribund however just six minutes into the second half when City clawed a goal back.

Stephen Brackstone's inswinging corner bounced up at the near post through a crowd of players and went straight in.

With their tails up City moved in for the kill and were within a whisker of levelling the scores only for Lee Bullock's point-blank header to hit Garner and deflect wide.

Substitute Rogerio took just one touch too many in a promising postion before Duffield had good claims for a penalty waved away when his far post effort appeared to have been handled.

Credit to Bury who grew more composed as the clock ticked down and in the dying embers went close to adding to their tally but for a couple of good saves from Fettis to deny Dunfield and then Andy Preece.

It might have been City's week, but it was most definitely not their night.

Match Facts

Bury: Garner, Barrass, Nelson, Woodthorpe, Unsworth, Stuart (Swailes 73m), Forrest, Clegg (Billy 68m), Dunfield, Newby, Abbott (Preece 87m).

Subs, not used: Nugent, George

Goals: Newby 21m, Abbott 27m

Bookings: Stuart 69m (foul)

Sent-off: None

York City: Fettis 7, Edmondson 7, Smith 8 (Mathie 89m), Brass 7, Cowan 6, Potter 6 (Hobson 83m) Bullock 6, Brackstone 7, Duffield 6, Nogan 6, Parkin 6 (Rogerio 33m, 6)

Subs, not used: Collinson, Wood

Goals: Brackstone 51m Bookings: Bullock 20m (dissent), Cowan 40m (foul), Edmondson 40m (foul), Smith 61m (foul)

Sent-off: None

ATTENDANCE: 3,294

Man of the match: Chris Smith - A busy night for the young City defender, but he stood up to the test well

REFEREE: Andy Penn (West Midlands)

Updated: 11:19 Saturday, September 07, 2002