Goals from Kai Evans and Mo Touray gave Bury a 2-0 victory in a workmanlike performance away at Kidsgrove Athletic.

Following last week’s defeat, Anthony Johnson had a shake-up of the team with four changes made to the starting XI, including Connor Pye making his first start of 2026. With Bobby Carroll injured and Leo Graham recalled from his loan, James Neild would cover in central midfield and captain the side. There was also a welcome return for Rustam Stepans. Sidelined three weeks ago with an injury feared would end his season, Stepans had recovered fast enough to be included among the substitutions.

In what would be Bury’s last lengthy away trip of the season, the Shakers faced a tough contest against a determined side on a difficult pitch. The weather also proved to be tricky with the day starting in sunshine and ending in hail.

It was important for Bury to start strongly, and they certainly did. Mo Touray put in a great throughball to Owen Robinson, his shot beat the keeper but hit the post. Luckily, Kai Evans was at hand to finish into the open goal to give Bury the lead after only five minutes.

The front three continued to work together well, Robinson playing in Evans, who shot from distance, but his attempt went wide. Touray set up the open Connor Pye for a shot, but he cleared the crossbar.

Bury saw plenty of the ball but couldn’t extend their lead. Evans and Robinson both had free-kicks that went wide, while Robinson teed up Touray, who shot on the half volley but straight at Ryan Brown in the Kidsgrove goal.

As the match wore on, the attacking intensity faded. The hosts saw more of the ball and started to take control of the match. Their attacks focused on set pieces and long throws for powerful player-manager Matt Rhead to win in the air, but the Bury defence held up well, and Kidsgrove created little of note.

The home side’s first real shot on target came early in the second half, with Mitch Allen saving an effort fired straight at him. From there he cleared the ball long to Touray who tried a lob that went just wide.

The Shakers started to look more like themselves again after the break, but couldn’t turn this into goalscoring opportunities. Evans did the hard work to get past the defence but fired a shot straight at Brown.

With twenty minutes to go, Bury took their chance to score again. Good interplay between Evans and Touray saw the latter pulled down in the box, and the referee awarded a penalty. Touray stepped up to take it himself and sent Brown the wrong way to double the Shakers' advantage.

From there, Bury never looked back. Substitute Stepans saw his corner nearly nodded in by Bailey Sloane, Bebeto Gomes blasted a rare shot just wide, and a Brown clearance hit one of his own defenders, nearly letting Bury through on goal.

Another burst into the box by Touray saw him felled again, and another penalty was awarded. While Touray found the back of the net once more with his spot kick, the goal was immediately chalked off. The referee adjudging Touray had paused in his run-up, so Kidsgrove were reprieved and handed a free kick.

Bury still looked like the side most likely to score. A partially cleared corner fell to Robinson, who shot from well outside the box and was only just wide of the mark. In stoppage time, Stepans beat his man to the ball, broke into the box, but saw his shot blocked.

The full-time whistle sounded, putting Bury back on winning ways and maintaining their slender lead at the top.