Shakers bottom after blank Boxing Day.

HITTING bottom of the table on Boxing Day is hardly the best way to get the Christmas programme off to a flyer.

But in a crucial game both sides needed to win Bury will be more satisfied with this point than their free-falling Merseyside hosts.

An encouraging first clean sheet since the club's last victory eight games ago should have been the springboard for another long overdue three point haul but once again a troubling lack of firepower proved costly.

Victories for the bottom two clubs, Portsmouth and Crewe Alexandra compounded the situation and sent the Shakers into the wooden spoonists slot but defiant boss Stan Ternent refused to be daunted: "I'll look at the tables after May 3 that's when it's all decided," he declared.

"There's a long way to go yet and we just need to build on this clean sheet and get a few more points on the board."

The introduction of midfielder Mark Patterson - in a Bury shirt for the first time since his £125,000 transfer from Sheffield United earlier this month - looks like it might make a difference and the Bury boss expressed himself well pleased with his first outing: "I thought Mark played very well, he gave us that little bit of stability in the middle of the park and I thought we passed the ball a lot better than we had done recently," he said.

That was certainly the case five minutes from half time when a a fine sweeping move out of defence involving over a dozen passes resulted in Tony Ellis feeding Lenny Johnrose in the box.

But frustratingly the tigerish midfielder hesitated over his shot and Alan Thompson blocked for a corner.

That turned out to be the Shakers' only worthwhile effort in a lacklustre first period while Rovers could only point to a two minute spell midway through the half when they threatened Dean Kiely's goal.

In the 19th minute referee Roy Pearson adjudged a deflection off Paul Butler to be a pass and when Kiely collected the ball the official awarded an indirect free-kick yards from the goalline.

Liam O'Brien slipped the ball to the edge of the box for Thompson to strike but actionman Johnrose launched himself full length to block.

Seconds later Irish international David Kelly was inches wide with a lob over Kiely but the for all the home side's intricate passing play they never looked likely to break down a resolute Shakers rearguard.

The second half offered more in the way of goalmouth action from both sides.

Just after the break Patterson went close when he hooked a first time effort over Steve Simonsen's bar following good work from Nicky Daws and Gordon Armstrong then the latter turned up trumps at the other end of the pitch to clear a dangerous driven cross from John McGreal. Rovers fans were baying for a penalty on the hour when Gary Jones went down after a challenge by Armstrong but the referee was right on the spot and waved away claims.

Neither side seemed capable of snatching a winner with Battersby and Ellis both firing over from the edge of the box and former Liverpool youngster Lee Jones seeing Kiely smother a low driven effort at the second attempt.

But there was almost a sting in the tail for the Shakers a minute from time.

Rovers substitute Johnny Morrissey cut in from the right and drilled in a ball that resulted in a frantic goalmouth scramble but uncompromising defending - and maybe a little long-overdue luck - saw that the Shakers goal remained unscathed.

"All in all I thought we created a few good chances and put in a good performance," Ternent said after the game.

"I'm reasonably happy with a point as this is a difficult place to come to."

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