Clark not feeling gr-eight with draw
LEE Clark challenged his players to pull themselves out of their current troubles after a goalless draw with Plymouth extended Bury’s winless run to eight games in all competitions.
Saturday saw a meeting of two strugglers, with each having only mustered one league victory each this season.
Despite that, there were still chances to win it for either team with Bury, missing top scorer Jermaine Beckford, in particular frustrated by in-form keeper Luke McCormick.
“Only one team deserved to win – I felt for the players. The last few weeks we haven’t had the luck at either end,” said Clark, whose side sit thirdbottom, above Plymouth on goal difference.
“I have got to give great credit to the players, they stuck with the task but they could have played with a higher tempo.
“We created the best chances, there were lots of good things, Greg Leigh was excellent and Mihai Dobre excited everyone too.
“We now have to dust ourselves down. Fans have been let down in terms of results and I fully accept that.”
Josh Laurent’s clever pass worked the game’s first opening for Bury, but Michael Smith’s audacious effort didn’t trouble McCormick.
Yann Songo’ o then prevented the hosts from taking the lead midway through the first half with a superb clearance from Harry Bunn’s header across goal.
Lionel Ainsworth had a great chance to put the away side ahead in the 37th minute but lost his footing at the crucial moment.
Nathan Cameron almost gave Bury the lead just before halftime but his close-range shot was straight at McCormick and the Plymouth keeper was also in action after the break to keep out Chris Maguire’s free-kick.
Substitute Mihai Dobre then fizzed in a brilliant low ball but Smith, with the goal gaping, only hit the post.
And Dobre again brought the best out of McCormick who turned his goal-bound effort onto the post.
‘The players put in a lot of effort,” said Plymouth manager Derek Adams. “I’m delighted with them, they’re fantastic professionals and another very good performance from us.
“We probably should have been three or four up at half-time. Joel Grant, Antoni Sarcevic, Nadir Ciftci and Lionel Ainsworth should have scored.
“Then at the end we had a couple of good saves from Luke to give us the point but we probably should have been ahead.”