Torquay 1 Bury 1 by Robert Holmes: AT least referee Trevor Parkes could not send-off keeper Glynn Garner for handball otherwise Bury would have been in big trouble.

Thanks to 'Glynn the Glove' the Shakers shrugged off red cards for Terry Dunfield and Danny Swailes to steal the unlikeliest of points.

And even the minority of Bury fans who have taken to criticising him gave the unassuming Welshman a standing ovation at the end of this drama-filled match.

This was Custer's last stand and the Alamo rolled into one after Mr Parkes reduced Bury to 10 men after 11 minutes and to nine after 62 minutes.

But 'General Garner' and his eight resolute foot soldiers repelled Torquay's yellow-shirted hoards to keep Andy Preece's men in an automatic promotion place.

And while the Twin Towers may be coming down at Wembley, Bury's own twin towers, Steve Redmond and Michael Nelson, did not crumble.

Garner made half a dozen outstanding saves but insisted: "I don't think it was my best ever game. I did my part but the boys in front of me were superb.

"The criticism doesn't bother me. You are going to get that and besides it only spurs you on."

Preece believes any criticism of Paddy Kenny's replacement is unjustified.

"Don't forget this is Glynn's first full season and he is going to make some mistakes. He will only get better but he won't improve if people keep getting on his back.

"They moan at me and the reaction when I took off David Nugent for Chris Billy came from people who don't know the game.

"There's no way we could have kept three strikers on after having Terry Dunfield sent off. We had to bring on an extra midfielder and as Chris Billy scored it just shows I know more about the game than they do."

Certainly Bury's chances of leaving Plainmoor with anything but a heavy defeat when Dunfield was red carded and Alex Russell scored from the spot looked remote.

Mr Parkes adjudged Dunfield had deliberately handled David Woozley's header on the goal line though both he and Garner suggested it was hand to ball.

Garner then began his one-man show with a superb tip away from a Woozley shot before Billy stunned the home fans with an equaliser.

The Shakers looked comfortable at the start of the second half apart from a Tony Bedeau effort that hit the angle of crossbar and post.

However, all that changed when Swailes became Bury's fourth sending off since the turn of the year.

Sliding in to cut out Kevin Amankwaah's ball Swailes was unlucky to make contact with his hand. And it was the linesman rather than the referee who signalled an infringement.

Swailes protested over the second booking but all to no avail and he was off. Then the seige started. Russell hit a post after 71 minutes while Garner saved decisively from Woozley and Graham.

Having survived for 90 minutes Bury then had to defend for their lives for an extra five. And they succeeded as Garner's final save thwarted Lee Canoville in the closing seconds.

Bury's players were almost too tired to celebrate but Swailes showed a nice touch by congratulating every one of his team mates as they left the pitch.

But his feelings towards Mr Parkes were less hospitable and he had to be restrained from approaching the West Midlands official at the end of the game.

Swailes now faces a two-match ban and Dunfield will miss one game but on this occasion the result far outweighed everything else.

Match stats:

Torquay (4-4-2):

Dearden, Amankwaah (Wills 77), Canoville, Hazell, Woozley, Bedeau, Russell, Fowler, Hill (Kuffour 54), Graham, Gritton; subs not used: van Heusden, Hockley, Hankin.

Goal: Russell (pen) 12

Bookings: None

Bury: Garner 10, Swailes 7, Redmond 8, Nelson 9, Unsworth 7, O'Shaughnessy 7 (Clegg 75), Dunfield 6, Stuart 8, Nugent 6(Billy 19), Cramb 7 (Connell 83), Newby 7; Subs not used: Preece, Woodthorpe.

Attendance: 3123

Referee: Trevor Parkes (Walsall)

Shakers man of the match: Glynn Garner.