Bury 0 Bristol Rovers 0: DON'T be fooled by the scoreline -- this was no sterile end-of-season encounter to send the fans home yawning.
Despite the sunshine and their comfortable mid-table placing, the Shakers did more than enough to take three points and with a bit more luck would have done.
Twice the crossbar came to the rescue of Rovers and their keeper Ryan Clarke pulled of a handful of useful saves to prevent Graham Barrow's side doing the double over the visitors.
Barrow is looking closely at individuals as he plans for next season and with several out of contract in the summer there are some tough decisions to be made.
But one or two players will have done themselves a deal of good on Saturday, notably Lee Unsworth who put in a sterling display at the heart of the Shakers defence.
Versatility is going to be the name of the game when the manager assembles a smaller squad next season.
And Unsworth, in his first game back from injury, showed just what a useful player he is to have around, slotting into a central defensive role with Colin Woodthorpe and young Jon Cartledge.
They restricted Rovers to only two chances, both from lively striker Junior Agogo.
The first effort struck the bar midway through the second half while the second, in the dying minutes, brought a fine save out of Glyn Garner in the Bury goal.
Yet if Bristol had headed down the M5 with all three points it would have been a complete travesty.
The Shakers dominated the game for long periods and could have been two up inside the first ten minutes.
Cartledge rattled the crossbar when he connected with a Dave Flitcroft corner after four minutes then Simon Whaley -- making his full league debut -- sent Dave Nugent clear but Clarke just managed to get a hand to his goalbound shot.
Throughout the first 45 minutes the visitors didn't have a worthwhile effort to trouble Garner, while the lively Shakers swarmed around the Rovers box like angry bees.
Whaley could have sent his side in a goal to the good just before the break when he clipped a fine effort just over the bar after good link-up play from Chris Porter and Nugent.
Even Barrow admitted he thought his side had missed the boat when they sat down for their half-time cuppa still level.
Encouragingly, they began the second period as they ended the first and both Porter and Nugent got in useful early efforts that gave Clarke plenty to think about. Cartledge was unlucky again with a shot that struck the bar after his
initial header from a corner had been blocked and Flitcroft saw a stinging 35-yarder saved by the Rovers keeper.
Agogo's effort against the woodwork arrived on the hour mark and was totally against the run of play but seconds later it was business as usual when Nugent shot narrowly wide again after running the legs off Christian Edward.
BURY FORMGUIDE:
Garner 7, Cartledge 7, Woodthorpe 7, Unsworth 8, Kennedy 7, O'Shaugnessy 6 (Dunfield, 81), Flitcroft 7, Whaley 7, Barrass 7, Porter 6, Nugent 7 (O'Neill, 85). Subs not used: Connell, Duxbury and Solly.
Referee: R. Pearson
Attendance: 2,683
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