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Carlisle started in their more traditional 4-4-2 formation with Karl Hawley and Derek Holmes starting upfront and Paul Simpson, Chris Billy, Adam Murray and Brendan McGill strung across the midfield. Anthony Williams was in goal behind a back four of Zigor Aranalde, Kevin Gray, Danny Livesey and Paul Arnison as United looked to keep their unbeaten away record in the league going.
Both sides started brightly but it was the Blues who had the first chance in the sixth minute. McGill played the ball through which was touched off by Hawley to Holmes only for Holmes’ deflected left-foot drive to be saved at the far-post by Bury keeper Neil Edwards.
The first 15 minutes passed quickly at a frenetic pace as both sides either battled for the ball in midfield or hit the ball long and early into the front-men but it was United who again carved out a chance in the 14th minute.
Adam Murray played the ball through to McGill on the right-wing, McGill then sent Hawley clear with a slide-rule pass and Hawley’s chip over the advancing keeper was in all the way until it was headed clear by Bury centre-half Paul Scott.
The Shakers came back into the game after that and went close in the 24th minute from a set-piece. John Hardiker hit a free-kick in from the left which Matt Tipton headed back across goal only for Jon Newby to drive wide from 12 yards out.
Hawley had another good opportunity for the Blues two minutes later when he was sent clear by a Holmes touch-on but his low drive was pushed away by Edwards with McGill’s follow-up at the far-post blocked away for a corner.
A quiet spell followed as both sides struggled to keep hold of the ball and in the 31st minute the hobbling Holmes was replaced by Ivorian striker Raphael Nade, Holmes was later revealed to have been struggling with a calf problem.
The Blues had two chances in sixty seconds on the 38 minute mark as firstly Hawley shot across the keeper and out for a goal-kick and Billy hit a weak left-foot shot wide from a Hawley knock-down.
It wasn’t the greatest first half in general as both sides tended to hit the ball long when they both looked more dangerous with the ball on the floor. United had the better of the play but as we’ve seen all too often struggled to turn their pressure into goals.
Carlisle came out very brightly after the break with McGill driving wide across goal in the 48th minute after cutting in from the right-wing past two statuesque Shakers defenders.
The Blues were having a good spell of pressure and five minutes later Hawley’s shot was deflected over the bar for a corner after a nice lay-off from Nade.
In the 57th minute United finally made the breakthrough their approach play deserved as Nade stroked home his first senior goal for the Blues. It was a well worked goal by Carlisle and showed what they are capable of when they ball around on the floor at a high tempo.
Hawley, having another excellent game for the Blues, held the ball up well in the centre-circle and finally played in McGill who broke forward quickly as he looked for support. The diminutive Irishman spotted Nade advancing down the right-hand channel and pushed the ball in front of the ex-Woking striker who coolly chipped the advancing Edwards and into the net from 12 yards out to give Carlisle the lead.
The Blues now enjoyed their best spell of the game and with Nade’s new-found confidence and Adam Murray spraying the ball around in the middle of the park United hunted for a second goal which would just never come.
Bury had a half-chance in the 66th minute as David Flitcroft’s volley from the edge of the box went straight at Williams but Livesey and Gray were imperious at the heart of the United defence all night and they kept the Shakers strikers relatively quiet throughout.
In the 67th minute Stuart Barlow replaced Brian Barry-Murphy for the hosts. Three minutes later United brought on Peter Murphy for Simpson and in the 72nd minute the Shakers had Paul Scott booked for dissent when he protested too strongly to referee Jonathan Moss that Bury should have been awarded a penalty after a claim for handball against Livesey.
On the 75 minute mark Murphy’s ball in for the Blues was cleared after John Hardiker had given away a free-kick and received a yellow card for a crude challenge on Arnison on the edge of the Shakers’ own box.
The Blues had a half-chance a minute later as Murphy was just unable to turn home a Nade flick-on at the far-post following more good approach work by McGill.
The home fans responded to this missed chance for Carlisle with a few cries of "Barrow Out" and on this showing by his team Bury boss Graham Barrow could soon find his days numbered.
In the 82nd minute the home side replaced Paul Scott with John Fitzgerald. Two minutes later Hawley was booked for persistent infringement and then in the 86th minute the hard-working Hawley was taken off for Glenn Murray. Hawley had an another excellent game with his back to goal and toiled tirelessly for the cause throughout.
United had two big scares in the last three minutes as they hung on for a precious victory. Firstly Arnison headed superbly away under pressure at the far-post from the onrushing Barlow after Dwayne Mattis had swung in an excellent cross from the right.
Then in the 90th minute the hearts were in the mouths of every one of the 1241 strong travelling Blue Army. An excellently delivered corner was whipped in left-footed from the right by Tom Kennedy and the bouncing ball somehow managed to evade everybody as it flew across goal and behind to safety.
The Blues could still have doubled the margin of victory in injury time as Nade turned on the penalty spot and blazed a left-foot shot narrowly wide after he had been played in by Glenn Murray but his one goal proved to be enough for the win.
So another excellent away performance from United makes it four league games unbeaten on their travels. The home side were admittedly no great "shakers" but the lads at the back again defended superbly to guarantee victory.
Zigor Aranalde had a faultless game at left-back and looks a better and better signing with every game he plays. Adam Murray is rapidly starting to show his true potential in his preferred position of central midfield and Karl Hawley worked like a Trojan upfront to put constant pressure on the Shakers defence.
United now sit 8th in the table, one spot away from the play-offs, and will be hoping to better that position in the table with a home win in their next game against Macclesfield on Saturday 10th September.
United player-manager Paul Simpson was delighted with the outcome saying :
"We talked all week about coming here to win the game. Some grounds you have to go and adjust your tactics accordingly. We know Bury are tough to beat at home but we felt if we did the job properly we could get the win.
"I'm really pleased for Raphael Nade. It was a superb finish and the lads are made up for him in the dressing room."
The Shakers fans called for the resignation of Graham Barrow at points during the game and he opted not to face the press after the match and instead sent out first-team coach Ray Mathias who said :
"We were disappointed to concede a goal like that again. We spoke before the game about being caught out on the break and that's what happened again, because they scored after we had a throw in.
"It's mine and Graham's job now to try and lift the players. There were a couple of positives to come out of tonight, such as the performances of Neil Edwards and Simon Whaley.
"However, things are going against us at the moment and from where I was it looked as though their defender had stopped the ball rolling away with his hands."