DEAD AND BURY-ED? NO CHANCE
BURY caretaker manager Ryan Lowe said he was ‘annoyed but proud’ after George Miller scored his fourth goal in four games to snatch a 95th-minute point at Bradford.
The Bantams’ Shay McCartan scored in the 89th minute and looked to have given Bradford’s interim boss Greg Abbott his first win, despite Matt Kilgallon’s late red card.
But Miller’s last-gasp header extended the hosts’ winless run to six games.
“To get the equaliser with about 30 seconds left, I’m overwhelmed,” said Lowe. “That’s what we’re about and we’ve instilled that into the team now.
“It’s tough, in a way, because the players have been unbelievable.
“There were a couple of mistakes and we don’t want to go back to making those individual mistakes. We know the pitch is not the best but you have to play the conditions.”
Timothee Dieng had given Abbott’s side the lead before Bury responded almost instantly through Nathan Cameron.
The best chance for an opening goal before that had fallen to Dominic Poleon just before the break when Bury goalkeeper Connor Ripley denied the forward in a one-on-one situation.
With Bradford then on top, the breakthrough came just before the hour when Alex Gilliead cut in from the left and his shot deflected perfectly into the path of Dieng, who tapped home from close range.
But the Shakers responded instantly through centre-back Cameron, who scored on the rebound after former Bantams favourite James Hanson had seen his header cleared off the line by Gilliead.
The goal turned the game in Bury’s favour, with Miller missing two one-on-one’s with Colin Doyle before Kilgallon was showed a second caution for bringing the striker down on his way to goal.
Bury were punished for their wastefulness with a minute to go when sub McCartan ran through on goal and had his effort saved by Ripley, only for the striker to pick himself up and roll the ball home into an empty net.
It looked to be the winner but Miller had other ideas, heading home a cross in the final of five added minutes to give Bury a point. “It’s awful for that to happen after the emotions surrounding this week but that’s the way football is sometimes,” said Bantams’ Abbott. “But the reaction in that dressing room is about getting back on with it – we’re half-pleased but three-quarters disappointed. Work that one out!” “There’s no consolation to concede that late and maybe there’s a moral win for us in there after going down to ten men but it doesn’t feel like that at the moment.”