CHRIS Maguire won the mind games with Oxford United keeper Simon Eastwood after telling his former team-mate he was going to dink him from the penalty spot before coolly opening his Bury account.

The summer signing was on scintillating form against his former side as he kicked off a second-half goal blitz to help the Shakers clinch a 3-0 win – their first league victory since the opening day of the season.

Everything the Scotsman touched turned to gold on an evening when Bury climbed out of the bottom four in League One with the swagger and confidence you would expect from a top-six side.

After a goalless first half, Jermaine Beckford earned a penalty after being fouled in the box, giving Maguire the chance to net his first goal for the club, which he duly did by sending Eastwood the wrong way.

“They (Oxford) know where I go because of the penalties I took for them last season,” Maguire revealed.

“I am still living in a hotel and I saw them (the Oxford team) in the hotel the night before (the game) and was having a bit of banter saying ‘if I get a penalty I’m going to dink you’.

“I think I put a bit of doubt in his (Eastwood’s) head as well. I waited for him to dive, took a step and put it the other way.

“It was probably the most nervous I have ever been taking a penalty as it was all down to mind games.”

The 28-year-old forward ended Bury’s barren run of three missed penalties in a row.

Beckford and Maguire both missed spot kicks during Bury’s opening-day 1-0 win against Walsall, with Beckford also blazing over a last-minute penalty in a 3-2 defeat at Fleetwood.

But the responsibility was handed back to Maguire and now he aims to stay on penalty duty.

“That has been a bit of a yo-yo,” he said.

“Becks took the first one and missed and I took the next one and missed, which is unlike me.

“I beat myself up over that because it’s a good chance to get a goal and I think I missed one last year with Oxford and it took me a while to get over that. Hopefully, there’s no more misses now and I can keep on them.”

The floodgates opened after Maguire’s opener as Bury put the visitors to the sword, adding a further two goals inside eight minutes.

Michael Smith bundled a Beckford cross over the line for the second goal, before the former Preston striker added his sixth of the season with a thumping header from Chris Humphrey’s pin-point delivery.

The Shakers have now picked up five points from their last three games and Maguire believes the team is finally beginning to click.

“It’s a massive result,” he said.

“It’s the second win of the season that we’ve had. It’s been a bit up and down.

“I think it’s probably the lowest that we have been on morale.

“It affects you – we have not been enjoying our weekends.

“With the squad we have got, we know we should be higher.

“But that’s three unbeaten now.

“To get the three points was vital and hopefully we can kick on now.”

Bury’s up-turn in results has followed a switch to a 5-3-2 formation, which they also played in Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Charlton.

It is the same formation manager Lee Clark used at the tail end of last season to help stave off relegation.

The new system gives Maguire the freedom to play in behind strikers Smith and Beckford – a role he is thriving off.

He said: “The number 10 role is good when you get the ball.

“I want to try and get on the ball as much as possible but it has taken a bit of time to adapt.

“It worked against Oxford and as long as I can keep getting on the ball then I can make things happen.

“That’s a first of the season for me and hopefully now there will be more to come.”

Match ratings

Bury (5-3-2): Fasan 8; Humphrey 8 (Bunn 84, 6), Edwards 8, Aldred 8, Whitmore 8, Leigh 9; Reilly 7 (Danns 54, 7), Laurent 8, Maguire 9; Smith 8, Beckford 9 (Dobre 78, 7). Unused subs: Maloney, Williams, Skarz, Ince.

Oxford United (4-2-3-1): Eastwood; Mousinho, Williamson, Nelson, Ricardinho; Ledson (Rothwell 68), Ruffels; Hall, Mowatt (Payne 68), Henry; van Kessel (Mehmeti 68).

Unused subs: Shearer, Marton, Fernandez, Carroll.

Referee: Ben Toner (Lancashire).

Attendance: 2,951 (287 visiting).