bury times report

[scalehallshrimp]

IT'S a measure of how good Bury are at the moment, that they can go to the division's most in-form team and play them off the pitch.

Granted, they didn't find the goal their play deserved against Morecambe on Tuesday night, but they have the confidence and mental toughness to impose their game on anybody in League Two.

Morecambe, who are now unbeaten in ten games, were made to look rather ordinary by Bury, who were denied all three points by an inspired Barry Roche.

The Shrimps goalkeeper made a series of fine saves to deny former manager Alan Knill and his Bury side – but the Gigg Lane boss was pleased with the way his side dominated at Christie Park.

“We were outstanding against the form team in the league,” said Knill. “After Saturday, we thought this was going to be a real tough fixture for us, but the players were fantastic again.

“The second half was all about our energy, pace and power. The only thing missing was a goal. “Even though it's a draw, I am delighted with the performance. I thought we were pretty comfortable at one end, and a threat at the other.

“It doesn't matter what other teams do, it's important we concentrate on ourselves. Any point we pick up now is a point in the right direction. If we continue to play like that, we will be in there.”

Knill is right. If Bury put in the same sort of performance in each of their remaining ten fixtures it is hard to see them securing anything other than automatic promotion.

Elliott Bennett and Michael Jones seem to get better with each passing game, while Brian Barry-Murphy and Stephen Dawson are the real heartbeat of the team.

The Irish duo break up attacks at one end and launch them at the other.

Bury pummeled their hosts in the second half, with Bishop and Bennett guilty of spurning good chances.

They had more of the possession in the first half, but the closest they came to troubling Morecambe came when Bennett was released by Dawson, but the on-loan winger was beaten to the ball by goalkeeper Roche.

At the other end, Michael Twiss and Wayne Curtis both had shots on Wayne Brown's goal but neither could break the deadlock.

Bury stormed out of the blocks in the second period, and Bishop forced Roche into a stunning save with a point-blank header from Michael Jones' left-wing cross.

The Shakers were left seething when the referee failed to give a penalty after Adam Yates handled Bennett's cross, before Bishop again went close when he forced Roche into a low save.

Morecambe were under severe pressure, and Bishop had two more chances to open the scoring before Ryan Cresswell had a header cleared off the line.

Bishop did have the ball in the back of the net on 66 minutes, but the linesman flagged for offside.

Roche was proving a major obstacle to Bury's chances of three points, and he saved Glynn Hurst's low shot after Bennett had raced the length of the pitch on the break.

The home side, unbeaten in their nine previous matches, served notice of their abilities at the other end when Stewart Drummond hit the post from a dangerous Twiss free-kick.

Curtis tested Brown with a chipped shot, before Bishop shot wide as Bury became increasingly resigned to their fate.

For all Bury's endeavor, they couldn't find a way past the resilient Shrimps, and they will be hoping to return to winning ways – and the top three – when they visit Lincoln City on Saturday.

MORECAMBE: Roche 8, Yates 6, Artell 7, Bentley 7, Hunter 6, Curtis 6, Wainwright 6 (Duffy 6, 64), O'Carroll 6 (Taylor 6, 82), Drummond 7, McStay 6 (Parrish 6, 68), Twiss 7. Subs not used: Edge, McLachlan.

BURY: Brown 7, Haslam 7, Cresswell 7, Sodje 7, Buchanan 7, Bennett 8 (Racchi 6, 84), Dawson 8, Barry-Murphy 8, Jones 8, Hurst 6, Bishop 7. Subs not used: Futcher, Baker, Racchi, Morrell, Rouse.

Attendance: 2,165 (599 Bury fans)