A narrow win for Gillingham on Saturday eased their relegation fears.

Gillingham took a 14th-minute lead from Bradley Dack and held on until the break.

The Gills doubled their lead early in the second half through Cody McDonald but James Vaughan’s stunner halved the deficit.

Dack and Mark Byrne were back into the starting XI for the Gills after passing late fitness tests.

The Gills were up against a Bury side boosted by three straight wins under new manager Lee Clark.

Gills boss Ady Pennock warned it would be a battle, with both sides desperate for points to pull clear of the scrap below.

It was the Gills who got their noses infront, as the returning Dack fired home from 15 yards after Lee Martin broke for the visitors.

For the rest of the half Bury had the majority of the chances but just couldn’t finish. Keeper Stuart Nelson was forced to save from Jacob Mellis but a host of other efforts went wide of the mark.

Greg Leigh spurned a great chance at the far post, shooting wide from a deep Paul Caddis cross, while Cameron Burgess also headed a glorious opening wide.

Tom Pope, James Vaughan and Tom Beadling were also guilty of messing up good opportunities.

Gillingham made it 2-0 shortly after the restart as McDonald headed home Dack’s 47th-minute corner.

Bury continued to struggle infront of goal, with teenager Callum Styles hitting another effort the wrong side of the post with an hour gone.

The Gills had a couple of let-offs. Just after Jacob Mellis cracked an effort against a post, Emmanuel Osadebe got away with a tug on the shirt of George Miller inside the box.

Bury got a goal back when Vaughan scored with a well-executed overhead kick, leaving Nelson with little chance of making a save.

Gillingham almost restored their two-goal advantage moments later but home keeper Joe Murphy cleared from off the line as Josh Parker looked to pounce from a corner.

With three strikers, Bury were asking many more questions and Nelson was called upon several times to rescue the Gills. The keeper turned a Miller effort onto the post in the closing stages.

Bury: Murphy, Leigh, Burgess, Pope (Miller 58mins), Vaughan, Mellis, Barnett, Moore (Pennant 79mins), Styles, Beadling (Lowe 65mins), Caddis. Subs not used: Lainton, Maher, Walker, Hope.

Gillingham: Nelson, Jackson (Dickenson 39mins), Ehmer, Rehman, Byrne, Wright, Osadebe, Martin, Dack, McDonald, Quigley (Parker 59mins). Subs not used: Holy, Hessenthaler, List, Cundle, Muldoon.

Attendance: 3,203 (199 Gills)