Mansfield Town are in dire trouble after they turned in a dismal performance at Gigg Lane, going down 2-0 to Bury.
Meanwhile, the hosts all but banished their fears of the drop for good as they coasted to a well-deserved win.
Bury almost got off to a dream start inside the fourth minute. Brian Barry-Murphy's corner-kick swung in towards goal, but Stags' midfielder Matt Hamshaw was on hand to hack the ball off the line at the far post.
Only ten minutes had gone when the hosts did go in front, however. Elliott Bennett floated over a free-kick from the right and up leaped skipper Paul Scott to head comfortably past Jason White.
Mansfield were unlucky minutes later when Stephen Dawson and Michael Boulding just couldn't stretch enough to meet Neil Wainwright's cross, but at the other end Alex John-Baptiste almost turned a Barry-Murphy free-kick into his own net.
The relegation-haunted visitors had been poor throughout the first half, and it was no surprise when Bury doubled their lead on 36 minutes.
Bennett superbly flicked the ball into Adam Rooney's path and his low drive was clinical as the ball fizzed into the bottom corner from 15 yards.
The woodwork came to Bury's rescue three minutes after the restart. Nathan Arnold teed up Dawson and his arrowing effort rebounded back out off the base of a post.
Soon after Gareth Jelleyman saw his acrobatic scissor kick just clear the Bury crossbar.
Mansfield quickly ran out of steam and Scott fired wide from 20 yards, but veteran Stags sub Kevin Horlock tried to respond again as he blasted narrowly over from the edge of the box.