Bury 1 Wycombe 1 by Steve Canavan of the Bolton Evening News

ANDY Preece's Shakers may have got a draw last night but it felt more like defeat.

Wycombe had ten men on the field for 74 minutes after captain and key defender Paul McCarthy was harshly sent off but even then bottom of the table Bury could not capitalise.

Once again they missed chances, including two shots against the woodwork and one header off the line, and had to settle for a single point.

If Bury remain at the wrong end of the league, these two points dropped could be very costly come May.

"We should have gone on to win this game," admitted striker Jon Newby, who was desperately unlucky with a second half effort.

"I feel like I've hit the post every game. We are desperate to get out of the bottom four and we needed to win that one."

Newby played a major part in what was the turning point of the match. Wycombe had scored early through Steve Brown's fifth minute volley after some less than impressive defending in the Bury box by George Syros and Martyn Forrest.

But then a long punt upfield left Newby racing clean through on goal with McCarthy at his side.

The former Liverpool striker tumbled and the referee Phil Joslin, to the surprise of just about everyone in the ground, gave a penalty. Because it was a foul the ref had no alternative but to wave the red card.

Newby said: "He definitely had his hand on my shoulder. I will do anything to help us win so if there is contact I am going to go down."

It was harsh on McCarthy and Lawrie Sanchez's Wycombe but the fussy official had set his stall by awarding 14 free kicks in the opening quarter of an hour and appeared determined to whistle when anyone so much as moved.

Paul Reid fired home the penalty to score his fourth of the season and put Bury back on level terms, with a one man advantage.

The match was there for the taking. Reid fired a 25 yard shot inches wide, Newby had a volley six yards out deflected over and Syros put a close range header into the stand.

The second half was much the same story - except worse. On 51 minutes Chris Billy - who in the main was poor - won the ball on the right and sent in a looping cross which Wycombe keeper Martin Taylor pushed into his own net. Cheers from the home fans were short-lived as the linesman deemed the cross had curled behind the dead ball line.

Next came the best chance of the night. Newby fired a close range shot straight at the keeper and Ian Lawson somehow contrived to smash the rebound against the upright and away to safety.

And when minutes later Billy's header was hacked off the line and Martyn Forrest's long range effort tipped onto the bar, the Shakers faithful began to realise it wasn't their night.

So did Andy Preece. "I did start thinking 'this isn't going to happen'. But you've got to keep going.

"It was a combination of poor finishing, the crossbar, post and goal-line clearances but at least we got something from the game."

Kenny 7, Armstrong 8, Swailes 8, Syros 7, Redmond 7, Forrest 7, Billy 6, Reid 8, Jarrett 8, Singh 8, Newby 7. Subs: Lawson (for Redmond 46), Seddon (for Forrest 79), Murphy, Borley, Clegg. BURY BOOKINGS: Kenny (86 foul)

Attendance: 2,459

Referee: Phil Joslin 4.