Scunthorpe United 0 Bury 0: ON-LOAN defender Dave Challinor shrugs off suggestions he has become a good luck charm for the re-vitalised Shakers.

But since the arrival of the big Stockport centre-half, Bury have yet to concede a goal.

And as manager Graham Barrow commented after this hard earned draw: "This was a game we could easily have lost, and lost heavily, a few weeks ago."

Challinor though has certainly added steel to the back line and his presence seems to have brought the best out of Danny Swailes again.

"It's a team effort," says the former Tranmere favourite. "And we seem to have got it into our minds that we concede goals 'over our dead body'.

"Hopefully we can carry that on until the end of the season and who knows what we might achieve."

New assistant boss Kelham O'Hanlon believes defending starts from the front. And that ethic was exemplified by Challinor's Edgeley Park team mate Jon Daly.

The young Irishman does not shirk a challenge in either area and he too is proving a valuable acquisition.

Daly might have won the game for the Shakers 13 minutes from time. But his low shot into a bottom corner was ruled out for offside.

Scunthorpe also had a goal chalked off in the first half, this time Cleveland Taylor's effort for Steve Torpey's challenge on Glynn Garner.

Bolton starlet Taylor was one of three loan signings made by Brian Laws last Thursday to help the Iron's injury crisis.

Another Wanderers fringe first teamer, Jeff Smith, and former Bury on-loan defender Phil Gulliver completed the trio of newcomers.

Taylor, who has also been out on loan at Scarborough and Exeter City, walked away with the man of the match award. He certainly posed plenty of problems for Tom Kennedy in the second half, but the teenager stuck to his job of containment.

"The two lads from Bolton did well and we know Gulliver can hold his own in this league," added Barrow. "Cleveland was a threat the whole game so I don't think Scunthorpe were too weakened."

Glenn Whelan, Danny Swailes and Lee Duxbury all had good chances while Gulliver headed a Whelan cross against his own bar just before the break.

And Whelan was in the thick of things at the start of the second period. Chris Porter did well to fashion a cross but Whelan could not make a full connection with his opportunity and Tom Evans made a vital save.

The introduction of two substitutes pepped up the home team and they enjoyed one spell of pressure that yielded four quick corners and several dangerously positioned free kicks.

Paul Hayes hit the bar with one attempt and Swailes blocked another chance from the same player as the attacks persisted.

However, Bury did have brief moments of their own as Swailes headed a Kennedy corner just wide before Daly had his moment of glory dashed by an official's flag.

Scunthorpe had one last effort when Garner saved a Smith free kick but they couldn't breakthrough and Bury had their first away point since November 15.

Match stats:

Scunthorpe (4-3-3):

Evans, Stanton, Gulliver, Byrne, Sharp, Sparrow (Kell 50), Kilford, Barwick (Hayes 46), Taylor, Torpey, Smith (McCombe 85); subs not used: Capp, Graves.

Bury (3-5-2):

Garner 7, Swailes 8, Challinor 8, Woodthorpe 7, Connell 6, Dunfield 6, Duxbury 7, Whelan 8, Kennedy 6, Porter 6 (O'Neill 68, 6), Daly 7 Subs (not used): Barrass, Seddon. O'Shaughnessy, Solly.

Attendance: 3,869

Referee: Fraser Stretton (Nottingham)

Scunthorpe: None

Bury: None

Booked:

Scunthorpe: None

Bury: None

Shots on: Scunthorpe 2 Bury 2

Shots off: Scunthorpe 4 Bury 7

Corners: Scunthorpe 15 Bury 6

Free kicks conceded: Scunthorpe 6 Bury 13

Shakers man of the match: Glenn Whelan-just shaded Challinor, Swailes and Daly for the honour. Never stopped working in the away cause.