Controversy surrounded the injury time goal from Bury's Ricky Shakes that denied Harriers two points and left them still trailing in the relegation battle; a wasted opportunity as rivals Rushden were beaten 3-0 by Bristol Rovers.

Despite the hotly contested decision to award a free kick to the visitors just seconds after a similar offence had failed to be awarded in Harriers' favour, Harriers can have only themselves to blame for both Bury goals that were down to terrible defending from corners on each occasion.  All season long the inability to cope with doing the basic parts of the game - marking, passing to teammates, talking to each other, following instructions - has been their downfall; both Shakers goals were unchallenged headers from corners.

As expected changes were made to the team; skipper Wayne Hatswell, along with Bertrand Cozic and Mark Rawle, was dropped to the bench and coming back into the starting line-up were Billy Jones, Simon Russell and Blair Sturrock.  The more attacking options didn't really show themselves off to their best and although Harriers were better than they had been at Wycombe in the previous game they were not on top of their game against a poor Bury side.

Harrier suffered a disastrous start when, after just eight minutes, a Brian Barry-Murphy corner from the right found the unchallenged head of Chris Porter who directed it past John Danby.  Fortunately Harriers did not let their heads drop and parity was restored just three minutes later; Bury keeper Glyn Garner's clearance was intercepted by Russell who played a neat through ball for Sturrock to chase and he coolly slotted it past the advancing keeper for his sixth goal of the season.

The next few minutes saw Harriers try to get on top of the game but the best that they had to show for it was a pair of long range shots from Dean Keates that Garner was able to deal with comfortably.  A Jones corner from the left was flicked on to stand-in captain Mark Jackson who volleyed over the bar.  In the last minute of the half Bury's Colin Kazim-Richards was booked for a heavy challenge on Harriers keeper Danby as the home defence was cut open once again.

Early in the second half the visitors almost regained the lead when the ball was played in from the right to Barry-Murphy but the Bury man lashed his shot over the bar. The game was not of the highest quality and there was little goalmouth action until the final quarter of an hour. Rawle, on as a sub for the ineffective Russell, tried his luck from distance and even though Garner spilled the shot he was able to pounce on the loose ball before Cozic, or any other Harrier, could react.

Cozic was involved again shortly afterwards; Tom Bennett's cross from the right was only half cleared, falling to the Frenchman whose poor shot was easily blocked and cleared to safety.  Even though Harriers had begun to create chances again it was a little out of the blue when they took the lead eight minutes from time. Jones found Hatswell on the left and his deep cross beyond the far post was lofted back across goal by Bennett, Garner flapped at it and Keates was on hand to head home from close range.

Harriers only had a few minutes to hold on to the lead and nearly made it.  Controversy surrounded Bury's late leveler, however, as Rawle was knocked off the ball with no foul being awarded and then seconds later Chris Beardsley was penalised for a foul that was no worse.  From the free kick Bury won a corner; Barry-Murphy took it, on the right, and crossed deep to the far post where two Bury players were unmarked, Ricky Shakes stooped to head in his first ever League goal and deny Harriers two vital points.