AFTER seven consecutive competitive defeats, an away trip to the unbeaten league leaders Wigan Athletic would seem a somewhat unlikely place to go and get an underachieving season back on track writes Adrian Ward
Yet that is precisely what happened as Bury's under 19s travelled to face the Umbro Isotonic Alliance League's top dogs, and they could - and should - have come away with all three points, but had to settle for a 1-1 draw following some late controversy.
Adam Docker's goal had put the Shakers on course for a deserved victory, but just as the game looked beyond Wigan, the referee awarded a controversial 80th minute penalty which was duly converted, leaving the youth team looking for their first win in league action since a 5-0 triumph against Blackpool on day one.
Youth supremo Neil Hanks was still amazingly upbeat after seeing the game snatched from the Shakers side, maintaining that they deserved much better and that the best is still to come.
He revealed: "The lads put in an unbelievable performance, bossing the whole match against a side that is unbeaten this year.
"It seemed as though we had finally got the result that would turn things round for us, but we were then hit by one of the most dubious decisions I've seen for quite some time.
"It says something about the way we've started playing though that we've gone to Wigan and got a point, which would be seen by many as a great success, yet the lads still crashed out on the field dejected after the game that they hadn't gone on to win it, such was the quality of our play."
"The players who are applying themselves in a correct manner are now starting to reap great rewards, as Danny Douglas-Pringle has recently discovered.
"He netted his first two goals for the reserve team in a 4-3 defeat at home to Macclesfield recently, and then made it three in two games with another in the 3-1 win at Oldham last week.
"Danny isn't the only player making an impression within the restricted age set-up, as two younger players have recently demonstrated. Centre half John Beswick and goalkeeper Matthew Heil have both made a recent step up from the under-13 side to the under-14 team, and despite playing a year above their normal level, both juniors have excelled, much to Neil Hanks' delight.
"John is a player we have high hopes for," explained the Head of Centre of Excellence.
"And in the recent game against Burnley, Matthew made four or five excellent saves. Both lads have been outstanding this year, and if they can make an impression playing a year up at Centre of Excellence level, they are certainly heading in the right direction."
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