Playing in their last home league game of the season Bury signed off in style coming from a goal down to beat Witton Albion 4-1.

Playing in front of a bumper crowd of 7,052 and with the chance of winning promotion if results elsewhere went their way Bury were boosted by the return of captain Bobby Carroll who had missed the previous six matches. He went straight into the starting XI and reclaimed the armband.

Though it had rained most of the day the weather had cleared by kick off. Similarly Bury started brightly. Rustam Stepans played in Louis White to shoot but his attempt was placed wide. Owen Robinson got even closer. Teed up to shoot after a great surge forward by Mo Touray the shot just whistled by the wrong side of the post.

The visiting Witton Albion keen to spoil the Shakers party took the lead. A corner sailed across the Bury box and was headed home by Joel Bembo Leta. Only an instinctive save by Mitch Allen prevented Tom Hoyle from doubling the Albs advantage minutes later.

It could have turned into a nightmare day for the hosts but quickly Bury were back on top and chasing the match. An attack across the front saw the ball worked out to Kai Evans on the left wing. His shot was well saved by Cameron Terry in the Albion goal.

On half hour the Shakers got the equalising goal they deserved. Owen Robinson winning the ball in the middle of the pitch charged through the heart of the Witton defence before powering a shot from distance that left Terry well beaten and landed firmly in the back of the net.

The palpable relief and cheers from that goal was telling and from there Bury never looked back. Moments later Bury could have claimed a second goal. Tom Carr was played in, he wasn’t able to take a first time shot and was then bundled over in the box. Despite the appeals the referee waved away the Shakers penalty claims. Carr was again on hand getting on the end of a cross but his header lacked any real power.

It felt like only a matter of time before the second goal would come and it came from a sustained period of pressure. A second successive corner saw Louis White send a deep ball beyond almost everyone in the box. Waiting for it at the far post James Neild gladly headed home his first Bury goal.

The Shakers were running rampant and could have put the match out of sight before halftime. On a counter attack Evans played in Robinson who saw his shot well saved by Terry.

It was much the same story after the break with Bury testing the visitors with corners and set pieces early though the away defence held up well in response. Stepans could have added to Bury’s lead when his wayward cross spun towards goal, Terry catching the lofted effort on the line.

It was Stepans who got Bury’s third. A long ball forward by Allen fell to the Latvian who beat his marker before cutting inside and unleashing his trademark curled finish to the far corner to make it 3-1.

The Bury defence was never seriously threatened in the second half but in attack Bury piled more pressure on. Fresh legs on the wings and forwards gave a new headache for the Albion backline Lewis Rawsthorn so nearly scored with his first touch. The ball fell to him from a corner, his scuffed effort cleared off the line.

Late in stoppage time Stepans again sent a cross that was just beyond DJ Pedro but fell to his fellow substitute Luca Navarro, his shot was blocked. From the resulting corner Navarro sent the ball long to Pedro who headed back across goal for Oscar Threlkeld to bundle in Bury’s fourth to wrap up all three points.

Results elsewhere meant Bury could not complete promotion at home. The title race continues to the final day as it did last season. A win guarantees the championship, a repeat of the performance here would surely be enough.