Bury 2, Wigan Athletic 2

FORGET Brian McClair and multi-million pound takeovers, a few more performances like this and dark clouds on the Gigg Lane skyline will soon start to disperse.

Classy league leaders Wigan Athletic arrived at Gigg Lane with an impressive 17 game unbeaten sequence behind them, but they were mightily relieved to head back home with it intact as the Shakers found top gear again.

The impressive performance was a timely booster as Neil Warnock's men battle through the toughest run of fixtures so far this campaign.

And just as encouraging was the superb backing the side received from the terraces, just the kind of united front needed over this tricky stage of the season.

The game itself had everything, great goals, disallowed goals, controversial penalties, penalties saved and penalties scored all that and a Premier Division referee, Alan Wilkie, who found it hard to keep up with the thrilling end-to-end encounter that kept the 4,086 fans on the edge of their seats.

"We were very, very positive tonight, I don't think Wigan will get a tougher game all season," declared Warnock.

"They are a quality side, the best in our league, but they were glad to hear the final whistle at the end."

The Shakers opened their account after 19 minutes and what a goal it was.

Andy Preece fed Adrian Littlejohn on the left, the fleet-footed winger had too much pace for Ian Kilford and delivered a fine cross that evaded everyone in the box, however Chris Billy came storming in from the right and volleyed a superb left foot effort past Derek Stillie.

Back came Wigan and two minutes later Scott Green was booked for diving after he went to ground following a challenge from Bury's best man on the night, Darren Bullock. The decision infuriated the sizeable Latics contingent behind the goal but their misery turned to joy after 36 minutes when an innocuous right wing cross by Haworth was adjudged to have been handled by Steve Redmond, a harsh decision to say the least.

But spare a thought for Shakers' 'keeper Paddy Kenny who went the right way to superbly block Stuart Barlow's spot kick but could only watch as the Wigan leading scorer followed up to convert the rebound for his 19th goal of the campaign.

The second period began with the Shakers in the ascendancy. Bullock had a dangerous cross hacked clear from under the bar then seconds later Pat McGibbon dived full length to block another goalbound Bullock effort with his hands but referee Wilkie was unsighted.

With the crowd roaring the Shakers on to greater things Preece had a goal disallowed for offside then after a storming run from his own half by Andy Woodward, Littlejohn directed a diving header over Stillie's bar.

So it was against the run of play when Haworth, seemingly yards offside, ran onto Michael O'Neill's chip over the defence and expertly lob over the stranded Kenny, a goal even Latics boss John Benson admitted looked offside.

Undaunted, the Shakers bounced back and Green was lucky not to get his marching orders after his early misdemeanour, bundling over Bullock in the box when the midfielder stormed towards the Wigan goal.

Preece stepped up to fire a powerful spot kick past Stillie and restore the parity that was the least Bury deserved.

"I said to the lads before the game that I wanted a performance like the one we put in against Bolton Wanderers down here last season," added Warnock.

"This was a similar game with the visitors expected to win, but I felt the only way they'd get back in the game after Chris Billy's superb goal was with a break and that's just what they got with the penalty decision."

"I felt sorry for the lads, the game was full of contentious issues and the positioning of the officials was diabolical at times. I told Alan (Wilkie) that I was disappointed in his performance."

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