AN added time rasper from substitute Aaron Amadi-Holloway handed Latics all three points in a tense derby encounter under the Boundary Park lights.

The fit-again striker, thrown on in the closing stages, fired home to raise the roof on a wet Tuesday night.

This time last Tuesday there was a problem with a faulty floodlight at Bradford. Tonight, it was the all-singing all-dancing electronic advertising boards doing nothing . . . except sitting there in complete darkness. Thankfully, the game itself wasn’t as dull as the surroundings – and the home supporters would soon be doing all the singing and dancing.

Latics began unchanged from Saturday’s remarkable 4-4 draw at MK Dons, but the match kicked-off in much tighter fashion with much of the play confined to midfield.

We had to wait 16 minutes for the first real chance from either side when a teasing low Jack Byrne free-kick was tipped round the post by Shakers ’keeper Leo Fasan.

It was very much a tactical battle until the game really sparked into life on 24 minutes when lovely build-up play involving Dan Gardner and Craig Davies resulted in Eoin Doyle finishing well past Fasan to give Latics the lead.

It was yet another sizzling move and one more for the goals of the season DVD at the end of the campaign. The on-fire frontman must terrify League One defenders – he is into double figures already . . . and he’s only played 11 games.

Quick and tricky Queensy Menig teed up Davies from the left two minutes later as the home side began to show their attacking prowess, but the striker fired wide.

Going forward, Latics are so good to watch, you can scarcely take your eyes off them. Byrne, Menig and Gardner have the ball on a string. Not that they didn’t have to watch the back door on occasion. When called upon, the back line did its job and defended stoutly, Johny Placide only called into serious action in the first half when Chris Humphrey met a cross from the left with a bullet header. The flamboyant stopper not only flung himself full length, but held onto it.

The chance was to act as a warning as only a minute after the restart, Bury, who came out like a team possessed a week shy of Halloween, were level. A Jay O’Shea cross from the left was nodded home by Tom Alfred in a nightmare start to the half from a home perspective.

It was suddenly as if the same gremlins effecting the electrics were creeping in on the pitch. Michael Smith’s shot was blocked by Placide on 54 minutes after the Haitian international, for once, failed to claim a cross. In reality, the tall striker should have scored.

Placide was seeing a lot more of the ball than he would have liked (even for him) and substitute Mihai Dobre was next to have a pop, this time from range, after 68 minutes.

The ball somehow seems to stick to his gloves – even in the soaking conditions, the rain teeming down all night.

Much more even as a contest in the second half, the kitchen sink was being thrown at it by both sides in the latter stages in a bid to claim maximum points.

Wellens chucked on Amadi-Holloway for the exhausted Davies . . . and it worked a treat. The fit-again striker broke free on left and without having touched the ball previously, kept his head to fire low into the corner and hand Latics a victory their attacking instincts just about merited.

LATICS: (4-4-2): Placide, Dummigan, Bryan, Clarke, Hunt; Gardner, Fane, Byrne (Green 87), Menig (Omrani 60) Davies (Amadi-Holloway 87), Doyle. Subs (not used): Ruddy, Brian Wilson, Gerrard, Flynn. Booked: Byrne.

BURY (4-4-2): Fasan, Leigh, O’Connell, Beckford, Reilly, Edwards, Aldred, Humphrey (Dobre 55), O’Shea, Smith (Tutte 89), Ince (Laurent 79). Subs (not used): Maguire, Bunn, Maloney, Shotton. Booked: Ince.

Referee: Darren Drysdale.

Attendance: 5,183 (752 away).