Bury extended their winless run to six games and were plunged further into the mire after a 2-0 home defeat to Chester City.Paul Butler and Mark Hughes got the goals for the visitors, who looked determined to bounce back from the previous week's defeat to newly-promoted Morecambe.
It was an open encounter right from the start, with both teams playing at a frenetic pace.
But Chester had more composure in the final third and had two golden chances to take an early lead but striker Simon Yeo blasted both efforts off target.
Bury had chances themselves, notably from the lively Nicky Adams, who fired narrowly wide from the edge of the area.
Half an hour in, Chester turned the screw and the opening goal became almost inevitable.
Cutting in from the right flank, Kevin Ellison drove a rasping shot against the foot of the post from 20 yards out and Yeo was just unable to turn the rebound into the empty net.
But the breakthrough came just two minutes later with centre half Butler rising majestically to power a header into the net from Ritchie Partridge's corner.
Bury striker Glynn Hurst probably should have equalised just minutes later but he could only direct the ball wide of the post after latching onto Brian Barry-Murphy's superb in-swinging cross.
The home side tried to force matters after the break and Blues keeper John Danby saved an effort from Paul Scott.
But Chester merely emphasised their superiority in the 52nd minute when Hughes latched onto a John Murphy flick-on to head the ball past home keeper Jim Provett to double his side's lead.
Barry-Murphy rattled the visitors bar with an excellent free-kick and Adams again went close late on but Bury never really looked like salvaging anything.