Bury 1, Wycombe Wanderers 4.

STUART Beavon’s hat-trick gave Blues boss Gary Waddock the perfect 50th birthday present as Wanderers cruised past Bury.

He and Paul Hayes netted easy goals early on as Wanderers led at half time, before Beavon took himself up to 20 goals for the season with two fine finishes after the break.

That doesn’t even tell the whole story of the game, as Giles Coke hit the post with a penalty and Nikki Bull pulled off a great double save with the score at 2-1.

But Blues jumped over that hurdle as they picked up their first win on the road since October against a freefalling Bury team who have been sucked right into the relegation dogfight with this horror show.

Wanderers won 3-1 at Gigg Lane last season to more or less seal promotion, and although the scenes after this game weren’t quite ones of jubilation the three points could prove crucial.

And they’re going to need to repeat the trick against basement boys Exeter City on Tuesday night, because despite the win they remain in the relegation zone, albeit by just a point.

The two first half goals owed a lot to some sparkling full-back play from Marvin McCoy, whose crosses were despatched to devastating effect.

The former Wealdstone man has flattered to deceive on occasions going forward, but he was a revelation as he tormented the woeful Joe Skarz.

Firstly he robbed David Worrall on the halfway line and a superb piece of skill took him away from the Bury winger as he tracked back.

The full-back’s cross was then laid off perfectly by Hayes into Beavon’s path, who slammed home from 15 yards.

Worrall looked to make amends immediately as he cut inside off the flank before ballooning the ball across the face of goal and out, with Lateef Elford-Alliyu doing the same moments later after a skilful touch took it away from Gary Doherty.

Bull was then called into action to touch Coke’s free-kick over the bar – which gave away a corner. Alarm bells immediately started ringing, and they were at full volume when the set piece was flighted over to the back post for Shaun Harrad to head past Bull for the equaliser.

Not that the scores were level for long. A minute later McCoy escaped down the right, managed to keep his feet after a sly attempt to bring him down, and scorer turned provider as Beavon helped on the raiding full-back’s cross for Hayes to tap home a simple second.

McCoy’s wasn’t the only outstanding contribution however. A change of formation to three in midfield has coincided with an upturn in fortunes for Blues, and the trio of Matt Bloomfield, Stuart Lewis and Craig Eastmond absolutely bossed their opponents.

An enjoyable game saw plenty of chances, with Mike Grella scuffing straight at Bull when the ball was put in on a plate for him and Mark Carrington firing way off target.

Blues were winning the midfield battle and Bloomfield smuggled the ball away from the hapless Worrall and played in Hayes, who was desperately unlucky not to add to his total as his clipped effort left Trevor Carson flapping at air but bounced off the top of the bar and over.

Eastmond seized on a poor clearance from Joe Skarz and shot just wide, but his mistake created an opening for Worrall at the other end. Doherty threw himself in the way of the shot to avert the danger however.

Bury boss Richie Barker sent his players out five minutes before Waddock’s men emerged from the tunnel, and veteran centre back Efe Sodje almost scrambled an equaliser from a corner early in the second half but could only prod into the side netting under pressure from Bull.

Drama soon followed as Grant Basey, who had replaced Danny Foster at the break, needlessly bundled Mark Hughes over in the penalty area challenging for a cross with his first act, and referee Mark Haywood pointed instantly to the spot.

A nervy-looking Coke stepped up to the spot and although Bull guessed right he wasn’t needed, as the Bury midfielder scuffed his effort against the post.

Wanderers knew that a third was needed to allay any fears of a Bury fightback and Carson foiled Eastmond with a low save before Hayes had his follow-up shot deflected behind for a corner.

And in a breathless couple of minutes Bury broke from the set piece that followed as Mike Grella ran unopposed into the Wanderers half. He freed Worrall, whose shot was blocked by Bull – who then superbly denied him with a diving header in part two of a breathtaking double save.

That proved crucial as that third Blues goal duly followed. Beavon made an intelligent run inside and an equally clever pass from strike partner Hayes gave him the space to fire home his 19th of the season via a nick off a defender.

His 20th wasn’t much longer in coming and it was by far and away the best of his treble. Eastmond was the architect as he flighted the ball over the home defence for Wanderers’ top marksman to smash a sumptuous volley into the top corner.

He was denied a fourth by Carson’s outstretched foot with Bloomfield screaming for a pass away to his left.

Wanderers: Bull, McCoy, Winfield, Doherty, Foster (sub Basey), Bloomfield, Lewis, Eastmond, Hayes (sub Hackett), Strevens, Beavon (sub McClure). Substitutes not used: Laing, Ainsworth.

Attendance: 2,479 (144 Wycombe)