Town 0 Bury 0
Town: Weale, Jacobson, Jones, Purdie (Summerfield, 69), Richards (c), Bradshaw (McGinn, 69), Morgan, Taylor, McAllister, Mambo, Gayle.
Subs: Ward, Summerfield, Hall, McGinn, Parry, Goldson, Wildig.
Bury: Carson, Skarz, Eastham, Worrall, Schumacher (c), John-Lewis (Bishop, 66), Ajose, Zubar, Thompson, Ebanks-Landell, Soares (Jones, 86).
Subs: Jones, Bishop, Carrington, Hughes, Dibble, Healy, Carole.
Referee: Mr. P. Gibbs
Assistants: Mr. N. Hobbis & Mr. R. Hulme
Fourth Official: Mr. R. Merchant
Attendance: 4,795 (254)
Dave McAllister hit the crossbar for Shrewsbury late on as Town and Bury played out an uninspiring scoreless draw at the Greenhous Meadow.
Graham Turner made three changes to the side that lost at Swindon. Yado Mambo replaced the injured Jermaine Grandison, with Luke Summerfield and Connor Goldson dropping to the bench for Cameron Gayle and Rob Purdie.
In a fairly uneventful first-half, it was the Shakers who fashioned the only attempt on goal. On 26 minutes, Town were penalised for a holding offence 25-yards from goal and Joe Skarz stepped up to take the kick, but Weale was equal to the effort down to his right.
Into the second half, Shakers boss Kevin Blackwell introduced Andy Bishop to the fold from the bench on 66 minutes, and the striker almost gave his side the lead with his first touch. Town failed to clear a corner and Bishop reacted quickest to get to the loose ball, but he couldn’t keep his overhead shot from flying over the bar.
From nowhere, the match had sparked into life and it was Town this time who almost went a head just moments later. Dave McAllister advanced from midfield and, given a yard of space, he thumped an effort that took a wicked deflection and agonisingly bounced of the Shakers crossbar and back into the arms of grateful goalkeeper Trevor Carson.
It was McAllister again who was presented with Town’s next, and finest, opportunity. Five minutes from time, the ex-Sheffield United midfielder galloped through the centre and was given time and space to shoot from just outside the area, but he failed to make a telling connection and Carson was able to save well.
Just three minutes later, the visitors almost claimed a smash-and-grab victory when Town failed to clear a corner and ping-pong in the six-yard box eventually fell kindly for Town, leaving to match to fizzle out into the inevitable scoreless draw.
Full-time: Town 0-0 Bury