Gavin Massey came off the bench to grab Bury’s winner in a 2-1 victory over Mossley at Gigg Lane.

In Tim Lees' first match as interim manager, there were three changes to the Bury team from their last match two weeks earlier. Bobby Carroll and Cal Spooner returned to the centre of the park while summer signing Owen Robinson was cleared to make his first Bury start.

The hosts began brightly. A diagonal ball found Bebeto Gomes, who played in DJ Pedro, but the Shakers forward was offside. Gomes next went for goal himself cutting inside but his attempt was tame and straight at the Mossley keeper.

It wasn’t long before Bury took the lead. A slick passing move down the left side between Leo Graham, Robinson and Pedro saw the latter send in a cross. Mossley defender Mark Lees got in ahead of Robinson but inadvertently knocked the ball into his own goal.

The Shakers could have extended their lead when a Rustam Stepans cross found Scott Duxbury, who fired just over the bar from the edge of the box.

Instead it was the visitors who grabbed an equaliser. Pressing the Bury defence hard, the Lilywhites pounced on an underhit pass back, drawing Mitch Allen out of his goal. The ball was pulled back to Callum Stringer who had an open goal and finished well.

The biggest threat from Mossley came from Obua Mugalula who weaved his way through the Bury half before unleashing a shot that Allen had to tip away from the top corner.

At the other end, Robinson tried a similar shot, forcing a good save, while a Spooner throughball found Pedro, who fired home, but the offside flag would deny him again. Pedro would turn provider playing through Stepans, but his effort was off target.

After the break, Bury pushed hard to regain the lead. A Stepans scissor kick was pushed round the post while a cross into the Mossley box was just a fraction too early for Pedro as he desperately dived to make contact.

At the other end, the visitors were stifled in their own attacks, and Mitch Allen in the Bury goal had few real moments of danger; however, Bury could not turn their control on the pitch into a lead. Turning to the bench, Tim Lees added an extra attacker in Gavin Massey and fifteen minutes from time, it was the substitute who scored. Stepans on the right cut inside to shoot on goal. Madigan in the Mossley goal made a good save from the initial chance, but the rebound fell nicely to Massey, who headed home the winner into an empty net.

Though Bury pushed for a third goal to finish off the tie, they were not able to get a clear chance on goal but did enough to see out the match and record a first home win since the beginning of November.