Bury...0 Huddersfield Town...0

THE New Year is traditionally the time to make resolutions - Bury's should be clear. . . try and keep eleven men on the field!

For the third consecutive match the Shakers ended the game with ten men after Jamie Stuart was red carded for a two-footed challenge on Leon Knight with 13 minutes remaining.

Stuart's dismissal was the club's seventh this season and the former Charlton man's second since his arrival in mid October.

And with that £25,000 suspended FA disciplinary fine hanging over the club's head like the Sword of Damocles it's clear the Shakers are going to have to clean up their act or it's going to cost them.

Coach Graham Barrow reckoned Stuart could have been a victim of circumstance on this occasion as his demise followed hard on the heels of two earlier fouls on the on-loan Chelsea man.

"Jamie could have paid the price for other people's bad challenges on Knight," he said.

"It's usually a yellow then a red and, although it was a bad tackle, it was his first foul of the game.

"The referee probably got tired of it but he may feel he has been a little harsh if he looks back on it." What would have been harsh would have been a late winner for the Terriers who took the initiative once they had the numerical advantage.

But a combination of resolute defending and superb goalkeeping from Paddy Kenny kept the scoresheet blank - the Shakers' first 0-0 draw for in 49 games!

Bury began the match on the front foot but were rocked as early as the seventh minute when Chris Billy limped off with a recurrence of a stomach strain.

He was replaced by Lee Connell who went closest to breaking the deadlock with a magnificent 30 yard dipping volley that cannoned off the crossbar with Town's former Manchester City goalkeeper Martyn Margetson well beaten.

The custodian was called into action again two minutes from the interval when the impressive Jason Jarrett, fresh from a one match suspension, brought a fine full length save out of him with a well struck free kick.

The closest the visitors came to scoring was an audacious 45 yard effort from Chris Hay that had Kenny scrambling back towards his goal but the former Swindon man's effort sailed just wide much to the Bury 'keeper's relief.

Both managers must have read the riot act at the break as their charges showed far more appetite for the game in the second period.

Shortly after the restart a Kenny Irons ball sent the livewire Knight scampering clear of the Bury defence but his snatched shot flew well wide of Kenny's goal. The Shakers were getting plenty of success down the left flank with skipper Jon Newby, Stuart and Clegg - a replacement for the injured David Borley - combining well.

Lee Unsworth was unlucky to see his goalbound header from a Newby cross deflected wide of the post and Bury had a good call for a penalty for handball when Michael Nelson's long throw was headed into the danger zone by fellow central defender Danny Swailes but the Huddersfield miscreant got away with his misdemeanour with Leicester referee Brian Curson unsighted.

After Stuart's dismissal the visitors laid siege to the Bury goal but the home side still counterattacked with some effect.

Indeed, they may have grabbed a vital winning goal three minutes from time when Newby twisted and turned in the box before lashing a hard, low cross across the six yard box that Gareth Seddon narrowly failed to divert home.

"I thought the game was there for the taking tonight," added Barrow. "But after we went down to ten men you have to be happy with a point and a draw is probably a fair reflection of the game."

"It's disappointing not to have picked up a win but one big positive for us is the clean sheet.

"Conceding three goals in our last two games made a heavy imprint on us, but hopefully this is something we can build on."

BURY: Paddy Kenny...7

Michael Nelson...7

Steve Redmond...7

Danny Swailes...7

Lee Unsworth...7

Jason Jarrett...8

David Borley...6

Chris Billy...6

Jamie Stuart...6

Jon Newby...7

Gareth Seddon...6

Subs: Clegg (for Borley, 51) 6, Connell (for Billy, 5) 8. Not used: Lawson, Preece and Collins.

Yellow cards: Jarrett (68), Clegg (75). Red card: Stuart (77).

HUDDERSFIELD TOWN: Margetson, Evans, Irons, Gray, Hay, Holland, Schofield (Wijnyard, 71), Moses, Knight, Booth, Clarke. Subs not used: Armstrong, Heary, Macari and Senior.

Yellow card: Moses (43).

REFEREE: Mr B. Curson (Leicester). Attendance: 3,462 (1,078 Huddersfield).