BURYM-I1 STOCKPORTM-I2 (after golden goal)

IF these two Second Division heavyweights had been boxers their clash might have been dubbed Night of the would-be Champions by those charged with such hype.

And they wouldn't have been far wrong because the pair of promotion aspirants punched themselves to a standstill in the Gigg Lane rain.

In the end County, despite their manager's absurd assertion that the match had been "bobbins", just about outlasted the Shakers, though they owed much to Sheffield referee Uriah Rennie who ruled out a seemingly perfectly good Chris Lucketti goal that would have sent Bury to Crewe for a semi-final and derailed Stockport's hopes.

In the grand scheme of things an appearance in the AutoWindscreens Shield final can be found way down the list of objectives - except for bank managers and accountants - so no one should lament defeat for too long. However, quite rightly, professionals desperately want to win every game that is played and there were plenty of long faces in the Shakers' camp after the game.

"We are bitterly disappointed," declared boss Stan Ternent as he summed up the dressing room feeling. "There were two good teams out there and either one of them could have won it. I thought Lucketti's effort was good and the penalty decision for County a little harsh but you have to live with those things.

"We have to dust ourselves down for the league which is the main priority."

The spot kick referred to by Ternent came in the ninth minute and was such an innocuous incident that virtually no one, including County boss Dave Jones - "I thought the ref had given off-side", knew what was happening.

Paul Butler and Chris Lucketti were the popular choices in the stand to have handled in the area, but it transpired that Dean West had put his hand up to protect himself and he was subsequently found guilty of an offence.

Tony Dinning slid the ball past Dean Kiely to put County ahead. It was, though, Bury who made most of the first half running and David Johnson, back for the injured Ronnie Jepson, shone most brightly through the gloom. There was danger for Stockport every time the free-running striker received the ball and he went desperately close with an 18-yard curler before drilling in a low 17th minute cross that Mark Carter met at full stretch, forcing Neil Edwards to make a smart full length stop to his right.

It was another, even better centre, that brought the equaliser after 31 minutes. Rob Matthews did superbly well to win some space in a crowded midfield and fed, of all people, Lucketti on the right flank.

The big defender took the ball in full stride before wrapping his foot around a glorious curling centre to the far post. Lenny Johnrose's initial header was beaten out by Edwards but Butler was first to react and forced home his first goal for the club since signing from Rochdale in the summer.

Matthews, who had one of those games when he came close to glory with virtually every touch, chipped too high as Bury piled on the the pressure and Lee Todd was forced to slice off his own line as both Michael Jackson and Johnson went close to giving the Shakers a deserved half-time lead.

There was more of the same immediately after the break as Matthews' angled drive brought a fine save out of Edwards and Carter flashed a header wide from Johnson's run and cross.

County, though, are a redoubtable cup side - as Blackburn, Southampton, and West Ham will testify - and they gradually turned things round as Bury tired.

Dinning, twice, and Brett Angell both tested Kiely but they found the 'keeper's positioning to be faultless and the contest ended in stalemate.

That brought the 'golden goal' rule into effect. The first side to score would reach the semi -finals.

Bury thought they'd done just that in the 95th minute when Lucketti climbed high above Angell to send Dean West's cross under the diving Edwards. However, Mr Rennie, who'd given the home side - especially Matthews - precious little, saw a foul and ruled out the effort.

That proved to be Bury's last chance. Johnson produced some superb defending to deny Dinning in the 98th minute but sixty seconds later Angell played a deft one two with Adie Mike and slotted home the winner for the Coca-Cola Cup semi-finalists.

There was a certain amount of irony about the winner for Mike - who was once on loan at Gigg Lane - was sitting in the stands, when he was summoned to the dressing room area ten minutes before the start to replace Alun Armstrong who pulled a hamstring in the warm-up.

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