Stockport 0, Bury 0

NOT for the first time this season, nothing went right in front of goal for the Shakers in this dour goalless draw.

It could have been so different as early as the second minute when Derek Lilley glanced a near post header over the Stockport bar then, minutes later, following a corner, the former Scotland Under-21 international saw his goalbound shot hacked off the line by County's David Smith.

At the other end Bury's defensive trio of Chris Lucketti, Chris Swailes and Steve Redmond were outstanding and never gave the Hatters' prolific strikeforce of Brett Angell and Ian Moore a sniff of a chance at goal.

The only noteworthy save Dean Kiely had to make came in the 25th minute when Tom Bennett, playing his first full game since breaking his leg 18 months ago, fired a 20-yarder through a ruck of players that the unsighted Bury keeper did well to punch away for a corner.

Roared on by a huge and vociferous following of shirt-sleeved Shakers fans enjoying the spring sunshine they always looked the more likely to break the deadlock.

The Shakers could, and should, have taken the lead a minute from the interval when another superb early cross into the box from Serrant was met with a brave diving header from Paul Barnes but the Shakers' striker, who once scored five against County in his Burnley days, sent the ball over the bar.

Stockport enjoyed more possession in the second period but still never looked like breaching the Bury back line and the counter-attacking Shakers almost snatched the winner after 74 minutes when Serrant was inches off a driven cross by Lilley with the goal at his mercy.

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