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On a cold Gawthorpe morning that certainly didn't feel like September, it was a game that never really hit the heights and that was evident in a first half of very little goalmouth action.
Bury came closest midway through the half with a 30-yard shot that hammered against the bar. It came out of the blue as did Burnley's opener on 31 minutes when Joe McKee played in Joe Jackson with a through ball.
Jackson took the ball on before hitting an inch perfect shot across the keeper and into the bottom corner of the net, and it was almost 2-0 five minutes later but Tommy Taylor was unlucky to see his shot come back off the post with the Bury goalkeeper well beaten.
A half time lead looked on the cards but Ben Woodhead failed to hold a ball on the edge of his box and Bury took advantage to hit the loose ball into the net for 1-1. Even so, the young Clarets really should have gone in front but for the officials not seeing and/or refusing to give a penalty.
It was as clear as any you'll see as Jackson was pulled back and whether the referee was unsighted I don't know, but the assistant clearly wasn't and saw it. When asked by a spectator why he didn't flag, he turned and said it was not for him to call it.
When then asked by the same spectator why the assistant referee wasn't able to assist the referee he threatened to have him removed from the ground. It was the last action of the first half, and the poor young assistant, clearly flustered, got no support from the referee when he reported it during the interval.
Burnley made changes during the second half but it was Bury who grabbed the initiative after a collision between Woodhead and Alex Coleman again left them with an empty net to score and it looked as though that might be enough to win it for them.
But with ten minutes to go, Ross Wilson got the ball in from the right. Bury failed to deal with it and it dropped for McCartan who made no mistake to put the Clarets level. If there was going to be any winner then it was going to be Burnley as they pressed forward, but it wasn't to be and they had to settle for a point.
The Burnley team was: Ben Woodhead, Curtis Woods, Neil Yadolahi (Alex Coleman 55), Tom Anderson, Ed Williams, Tommy Taylor (Ross Wilson 57), Joe McKee, Steven Hewitt (Shay McCartan 57), Dave Lynch, Adam Evans, Joe Jackson. Subs not used: Josh Cook, Alex Mullin.