Bury Stoke up the problems

GOOD sides are based on a sound defence. If that old soccer adage is to be belived then Bury boss Neil Warnock has every reason to be happy after his side returned their fourth clean sheet from their last six matches before Tuesday night's FA Cup first round repaly against Tamworth.

What is more worrying is that Bury have failed to score themselves in three of those matches, including the last two on the trot.

Granted, a 0-0 draw at high-riding Bristol Rovers is more than acceptable and the strikers can be forgiven for taking a back seat on that occasion.

But failing to score at home is not, even against a team of Stoke's calibre.

What made Saturday's lack of goals even more galling was the appalling finishing displayed by those on duty when the club's leading scorer and a highly-publicised international import were left champing on the bit on the bench.

Ian Lawson, Bury's nine-goal hitman, did make a belated appearance, being given just eight minutes to turn things round.

Indian Baichung Bhutia, now close to full match fitness after over a month's intensive training and several reserve games, was not called on.

On to the action from Saturday - and believe it or not, there was quite a bit of it for a scoreless draw.

Stoke had the lion's share of it in the first half. In fact, apart from an early threat from Barnes that was snuffed out by former Shaker Bryan Small in the penalty box, Bury's attacking contribution was virtually nil before the break. In sharp contrast, Stoke and Richard Dryden in particular, will feel particularly hard done too that they didn't break the deadlock as early as the 11th minute.

The fact that they didn't is down to a remarkable goal-lime clearance by Paul Reid. Dryden got in a powerful header after Kevin Keen slung over a corner from the right, but Reid was on the spot to head the ball onto the crossbar, from where it pibged back out to defender Anders Jacobsen.

Perhaps, the protective bandage the Norwegian had wrapped round his forehead temporarily slipped down over his eyes, but Jacobsen, fortunately for Bury, volleyed the return well wide of the mark.

Peter Thorne, a constant one in Bury's side, set up Phil Robinson in the 28th minute with a smart headed pass, but Robinson let him down badly with another effort that whizzed yards off target.

Thorne got closer with a smart, first-time shot after Keen whipped in a low cross to the near post on 37 minutes and there was another big let-off for Bury right on half-time.

Skipper Nicky Daws put an attempted clearance right into Kyle Lightbourne's path just outside the box and the Bury skipper must have heaved a huge sigh of relief when the Bermudan striker's shot clipped the top of the bar and went behind.

Bury carved out their best chance of the game seven minutes into the second half. Barnes played a pass into the path of Daws on the left-hand side of the penalty area. Daws cut inside, but could only fire into the side netting as he homed in on goal on the near post.

The shot took a deflection and from the corner Andy Preece saw another effort blocked.

Pat Kenny pulled off the first of two fine saves a minute later when he stopped a free-kick from Graham Kavanagh, but his best moment of the afternoon came on the hour when he dived to keep out a Thorne header that could well have turned the match.

It was good to see that Kenny appears to have shaken off the bout of nerves that had been affecting him not too long ago. That's another spin-off from having a watertight defence in front of you.

After that it was over to Bury as they took the game to Stoke and did everything bar hit the target. Quite frankly, they couldn't have hit a cow's backside with a banjo on Saturday. Let's hope the lambs are led more easily to the slaughter this evening.

The catalogue of misses was enough to leave the average Bury fan tearing their hair out as first Preece blazed wide after Barnes had done well to get behind Jacobsen and set him up, then Daws wasted another gilt-edged opportunity, firing Adrian Littlejohn's square pass high and not so handsomely over the bar.

Reid had another shot blocked for a corner, but he did get a little nearer with a chip shot that went just over the angle.

Lawson's 82nd minute introduction was too little too late.

In fact the chances dried up altogether and both sides had to settle for a point in the end.

The fact that Warnock seemed far happier than his opposite number, Gary Megson, spoke volumes and it's to be hoped shooting practice was high on the agenda at Monday and Tuesday's training sessions.

Stoke boss Megson barely concealed his criticism of Bury's tactics. "It wasn't our intention just to come for a point, but it is very difficult to entertain when you are playing against five at the back as Bury had.

"They can play how they like - it's nothing to do with us. We were the away team, but in the second half we played three strikers in a 4-3-3 formation. We tried our best to entertain and I apologise if we didn't.

"As far as I am concerned a point is only welcome in so far as it is better than being beaten," said Megson.

Warnock saved the bulk of his praise for keeper Kenny and Reid, but acknowledged the fans frustration at Bury's goalscoring efforts.

"They were terrible finishes and we have got to start scoring goals now," he said.

"I thought Paddy turned in his best performanmce as a professional goalkeeper at Bristol Rovers and he did well again against Stoke.

"Paul Reid is always one of the first names on the team sheet, but nobody ever notices him normally. He stopped that header because he let one in betwen him and the post against Cardiff and I told him never to let it happen again. He must have been listening."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.