Paul Hurst hails star Shrewsbury Town striker Tyler Roberts in win over Bury

On-loan West Bromwich Albion man Roberts broke the deadlock shortly after half-time, before Freddie Ladapo added a second, rendering Bury's late goal a mere consolation.

Roberts, starting his third successive game for the club having not started in League One for Oxford before Christmas, again looked a class act with his technique and skillful dribbling.

The win extended Town's unbeaten run to five games. they are now five points clear of visitors Bury and four clear of the final relegation side Oldham - who beat Chesterfield.

One sour note was an injury to debut man Stefan Payne, who lasted nine minutes on his first outing, before going off with a worrying knock.

The boss confirmed an x-ray showed up clear, but worries about damage to the on-loan Barnsley man's metatarsal.

"Without getting comfortable and thinking he's better than what he is, but he's working hard and I think he's found his feet with us," said Hurst.

"In the second-half against Gillingham he started to show what a good player he was. I had a decision to make and I could've made an argument for any of the strikers to start today.

"But Tyler, through the last couple of days, feels as though he's ready and I said at half-time he could be our match-winner - he kept getting on the ball in little areas. It's an excellent finish, side foot finish would do him the world of good."

Town were dominant in the Greenhous Meadow clash, despite conceding just their second goal in nine home games under the boss.

Jermaine Pennant, a former Champions League finalist with Liverpool, and James Vaughan - who had netted seven times in three games - were lined-up in an attacking Bury outfit.

Hurst added: "I enjoyed parts of the performance, at times it was a bit scrappy because of the way they play, there were a lot of free-kicks. We started pretty well and it got a bit scrappy.

"But overall I think we were the team that got the most opportunities, had the better passages of play and it should've been a comfortable end to the game.

"They put the ball in the box like they do, and a little bit of an error made it a nervous last few minutes. We saw it out pretty well but that's the disappointment, to concede a goal

"It hasn't happened too often, but I'm not getting carried away. I'm happy with the victory of course but I'm happy with the win."

On Payne, Hurst added: "He's been for an x-ray which is not showing anything up. But speaking to Skitty it's not a definite.

"The defender's ;landed on his foot as it was planted, the injury that comes most from that is a metatarsal, which is what he had, that's the fear. Fingers crossed it's not, it's early days for Stef, he was just getting into the game."