David had Goliath on knees

FORGET the unbeaten run stretching 29 games, forget the comfortable position in the top half of Division One, forget the fact that Bury came within nine minutes of beating the Manchester millionaires, this performance was memorable for something far more significant . . . it pleased boss Stan Ternent so much that he gave his players an extra day off!

To the average worker that might appear just and fair, but Ternent has built his magnificent success at Gigg Lane on a herculean work ethic and one of its strongest doctrines has been his " never give players back-to-back days off during the season".

However, even Ternent the tireless task master, had to admit that the Shakers' display at Gigg Lane last Friday (Sept 12), in front of the cameras, and the biggest home crowd for 17 years, was deserving of something special.

While electrical storms echoed all around Gigg Lane, on the pitch it was Bury's thunder raged against City's lightning in a game that had everything from the wincing to the whimsical and a magnificent sub plot in the battle between the mercurial Georgian Gio Kinkladze and Bury's Andy Gray.

It was Gray who signalled Bury's early intentions to hassle City at every turn when he bundled the ball and Nicky Summerbeee over the line within the first minute.

If Manchester had been on the mood to 'bottle' their first visit to Gigg Lane since 1966 they could have done so right there and then but, instead, they settled down to slug it out on a night rich in entertainment.

The first half belonged to City territorially but it was the Shakers who fashioned the more clear cut scoring chances.

Both sides provided plenty of opportunities for their opponent's defences to shine and no one accepted the challenge more than Bury's Paul Butler - a lifelong City fan - and Chris Lucketti and Manchester's David Morley and Richard Edghill two youngsters with the kind of ability that suggests City's Stretford-based neighbours might have a monopoly on silverware but not talent. Edghill, an England under 21 international, was the man in the right place at the right time in the 30th minute when he prematurely ended a move that had begun with Nick Daws shrugging off Gerard Wiekens in midfield and feeding Tony Battersby on the right. Just when it looked as though Battersby would send in the unmarked David Johnson it was Edghill who thrust out a leg to save the day.

Two minutes later it was Butler who gallantly thrust himself in the way of Lee Bradbury's 15-yard shot just when the £3 million striker was scenting a first goal of the season. Bradbury had a tough time of things all night. A willing worker fro his side he will not get a harder battle all season than the one given him by the resolute Butler and Lucketti.

Instead, it was Bury's modest £120,000 purchase, Tony Battersby, who went closes to scoring with a 36th minute effort that thudded against the base of Martyn Margetson's left hand post.

Battersby had, literally, fought off the attentions of Jason Van Blerk before firing a low, fizzing drive beyond the despairing grasp of City's keeper.

City's best reply came from Dutchman Wiekens whose 43rd minute shot, after a partially cleared corner, was headed off the line by Peter Swan . . . one of three Bury men on the line awaiting such an eventuality.

Johnson, the ex-Man united player now warming to his task of putting one over the 'old enemy' brought a full length 44th minute save out of Margetson and it was City who were marginally more pleased to hear the half-time whistle.

The first period served only as an appetiser to what was a sumptuous main course, laced with heroic individual performances.

First to make his bid for top honours was Bury keeper Dean Kiely, a man who has made an agreeable habit of saving vital penalties for his side. He assured them of promotion with one such save at Watford last season and kept the home side in Friday's epic with another.

The spot kick came in the 53rd minute and at a time of City dominance. It was the product of Kinkladze's mesmeric dribbling skills. He side-stepped his way past at least three challenges before he was inevitably dragged down in the area. It could have been one of four Bury defenders at fault but Lucketti was the unlucky man who made the final contact.

The little Georgian took the kick himself but Kiely's brilliance, and homework, kept the scoresheet blank. That injured the little maestro's pride and he was soon nursing a blow of a more physical kind as Gray's 64th minute tackle from behind left him rolling, somewhat theatrically, on the floor. Gray received the yellow card from Preston referee Paul Richards.

A minute later howls of protest from the home terracing turned to screams of delight at Nick Daws through ball deceived Morley and sent Johnson against emergency left back Kevin Horlock. It was the Bury man who won the day as Horlock fell and Johnson kept his cool to lob Bury into the lead.

That was the signal for City to raise their game and, as the pressure mounted, Kiely had to make a smart save from Wiekens.

Edghill, having carried the ball half the length of the field, was only denied by the bravery of Ian Hughes and Bury had to send on defender Andy Woodward in place of Tony Battersby to help stem the blue flow.

Even so, Margetson had to be quick, brave and agile to stop Lenny Johnrose adding a 75th minute second to Bury's tally.

Bradbury hit back with a 77th minute header that flashed wide and the equaliser came four minutes later.

It was a triumph for two unsung Maine Road men Tony Scully and and Morley. Scully, a recent buy from Crystal Palace, gave City more attacking options after coming on as a half-time replacement for Van Blerk, and it was he who took the 81st minute corner that led to the point-earning goal.

Morley, a 19-year-old making his full debut , managed to get in front of Butler and nod home.

Scully almost snatched an unlikely win for City when he dragged an 85th minute effort against the post but a winner would have been an unjust end to the contest as would further punishment for Gray who was penalised for wrestling Kinkladze to the ground. The Bury ace had been warned only seconds earlier after another clash with the Georgian but referee Richards handled the situation with great common sense.

Indeed, one of the many warming sights at the end of the game was the genuine show of respect in the brief embrace between Gray and Kinkladze. Both knew they had been in a battle and both had, like their team-mates come out with honour in tact.

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