Barry Conlon's contribution to the team was questioned by some earlier in the season but throughout much unwarranted criticism the big Irishman continued to give his all whenever he pulled on the shirt. Abuse was often leveled at him for his lack of goals, but in the past month the former Mansfield man has started to hit the net on a regular basis and not for the first time this season, his introduction from the bench tonight turned the game in City's favour.

With Joe Colbeck missing through injury and Omar Daley performing below par, City struggled to stamp their authority on the game in the early stages. The same was true of the visitors too.

Alan Knill has transformed the Lancashire outfit into promotion contenders since taking over at Gigg Lane last season, but the Shakers, who have been in the leading pack all season, were not at their best tonight. Their star man Andy Bishop, so often a tormentor of City in the past, was anonymous for much of the game and in the end City were worth the three points.

Neither goalkeeper had a save to make for the majority of the first half and goalmouth action was at a premium. Michael Boulding looked to follow up his goal against former club Grimsby in his last match but his low left-footed shot trailed wide for City.

The Bantams had a slight scare when Bury played a through ball in behind their backline intended for Bishop and although Rhys Evans was quick off his line in acting as a sweeper, his miss-hit clearance fell straight at the feet of Elliott Bennett in the centre circle. However, City were let off the hook when Bennett skewed his effort well wide and Valley Parade breathed a sigh of relief.

City's best chance of the half fell to Nicky Law, making his first start since re-joining on loan from Sheffield United. The son of the former City manager, who also went by the same name, should have done better from Daley's cut-back after Boulding had cleverly stepped over to bamboozle the Bury defence, but Law's execution was horrible and he scuffed his shot wide from ten yards with the goal at his mercy.

Bury came closest to scoring with half an hour on the clock when Dean Furman's poor clearance fell to Stephen Dawson, whose curling effort from the edge of the box rebounded off the post and then Evans' back before rolling out for a corner.

Law tried to atone for his earlier miss with two well hit drives as the half drew to a close - the first of which was deflected out for a corner and the second of which was only narrowly wide of Wayne Brown's left-hand post, but both teams entered the break on level terms.

In the second half City stepped up the tempo as they looked to inflict a first away defeat on Bury this season. Ryan Cresswell almost gave them a helping hand when his attempted back-pass beat Brown initially, only for the Shakers stopper to scramble back to claw off the line to save his centre-half's embarrassment.

Evans was called into action to tip over an Efe Sodje header at the back post following a Brian Barry-Murphy free-kick and the former Hudderfield defender almost cost his side a goal minutes later when he failed to cut out a long clearance but Peter Thorne's low shot from an angle was saved at his near post by Brown.

Michael Jones should have done better for the visitors after Bury caught City outnumbered on a break but a heavy touch allowed City's much improved defence an opportunity to hack clear and although Andy Bishop was fortunate to collect possession after a series of deflections on the edge of the box shortly after, Evans was equal to his tame shot.

Thorne glanced a header at Brown from a Tom Moncur cross but the defining moment of the game came in the final minutes from sub Barry Conlon. Graeme Lee, looking to net his second goal in as many games, thundered a 40 yard free-kick against the crossbar and with the ball sent half-way into orbit, Conlon took up a handy position on the line to outjump Brown and head in from the closest of distances after the ball had finally returned to earth.

Bury tried to mug City of two points with another late goal as they did last season, but Furman made an excellent recovery tackle in the box to dispossess Bishop, and City held on through four minutes of injury time to claim back-to-back victories to send them second in the table and only one point off league leaders Wycombe.

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