Mercurial Frenchman Jean-Louis Valois was on the left with new boy John Oster on the right. With Danny Coyne in the sticks again and the perennial benchwarmers of the 1st team also in the side we looked like we should have too much for a Bury side big in stature but short in experience.
The game began scrappily as both teams struggled to get to grips on a poor playing surface. The clarets however, prompted by the running of O’Neill created the better chances early on. Valois and O’Neill both blazed over and Lafferty, making his 1st start since injury, tested the keeper.
The Clarets suffered an injury setback shortly after though when Chris McCann blocked a shot in the area and had to be carried off. The injury was serious enough that he had to be helped off the pitch and his discomfort was plain for all to see. Martin Reilly replaced him with Paul Scott moving into the centre of defence. The home side had the only real chance in the remainder of the half as their striker broke through an offside trap with the help of a lucky bobble but slid it wide of both keeper and post when he really should have done better.
The second half started with the home side in the ascendancy and they had a flurry of chances but only one of these tested Danny Coyne. The game then became scrappy as neither midfield could dictate the play and both defences kept it tight. The Clarets then took off the disappointing duo of Valois and Oster. If their task was to gain match fitness it had unfortunately been mission not accomplished.
Cayne Hanley was booked for a late challenge, which ended the game for the Bury captain, and Neal Trotman clashed heads with the Bury centre-half, leading to more treatment on the pitch. The constant stoppages killed the game and just as it seemed that 0-0 would be the final score the home side shook the Clarets. Joe Booth dallied on the ball 30 yards from his own goal and lost it due to the pressure he’d put himself under. The Bury number four picked it up, took a stride and lashed it past the despairing dive of Danny Coyne, into the bottom corner.
The goal woke the Clarets into action and the final ten minutes were their most dangerous of the game, with our wingers causing havoc. Marc Pugh’s trickery led to a penalty appeal being turned down, which the Bury fan’s around agreed was lucky. Pugh also hit the bar with a snap shot from an O’Neill long throw and was just unable to get a touch to a cross from the left, which the keeper misjudged.
The final whistle blew as the home side repelled all attacks, with even Neal Trotman adding weight to the forward line. Mark Yates will be disappointed to take nothing from a game in which Bury had so few chances. He should also be disappointed by the performance of his more senior players, who were put to shame by the likes of the immaculate Neal Trotman, who was dominant both in the air and on the deck.
The teams were:-
Bury: Glyn Garner, James Barrow, Shaun Roscoe, Vassos Theophanous, Russell Hitchen, Jon Cartledge, Damien Quigley, David Buchanan, Nicky Adams, Ryan Maloney, Luke Horrocks. Subs: Matt Hampson, Peter Collinge, Chris Pauls, Steve Burke, Keith Wedge.
Burnley's Reserve Team Fixtures