Bury 1, Oxford Utd 0

AN uncharacteristic slip by goalkeeper Phil Whitehead cost Oxford a deserved point at wet and windy Gigg Lane last night.

The normally reliable last line of defence spilled Mark Patterson's 68th minute free-kick and Chris Swailes tapped in the rebound.

Amazingly, it was the central defender's first goal since scoring on his Shakers' debut at the Manor Ground almost 12 months ago.

It was the only shot Bury had on target during the entire 90 minutes, which made the defeat all the more galling.

United manager Malcolm Shotton recalled Phil Whelan for the injured Christophe Remy and adopted the same safety-first tactics which worked so well at Bolton on Saturday.

Oxford, though, were surprisingly enterprising with David Smith and Martin Gray in sparkling mood in the middle of the field.

Alas, their efforts fell on stony ground due to a combination of bad luck, poor finishing and qualty goalkeeping from Bury's Dean Kiely.

Smith and Dean Windass created a tenth-minute chance which had Windass holding his head in his hands after Kiely beat out his vicious drive.

Andy Thomson's 17th minute strike was deflected for a corner as the confident U's made all the running. Bury had little to offer in reply, although a Whelan misjudgment caused the only real alarm in the visiting rearguard.

Simon Marsh and Windass both wasted good positions from free kicks as another quality move after 36 minutes, involving Smith and Marsh, ended with Matt Murphy's left-foot drive striking an upright.

Wingback Marsh was again involved when setting up Les Robinson on the stroke of half-time, but the skipper sliced badly wide from ten yards.

Former U's striker - now out of favour at Gigg Lane - Nigel Jemson's sole contribution on the night was to make the interval draw, but Bury boss Neil Warnock looked to pull out a winner of his own as substitutes Tony Ellis and Lenny Johnrose pepped up the lacklustre Lancastrians.

However, another sweeping United move saw Windass lash a left-footer a yard wide in the 51st minute as Shotton's men came to terms with new-look Bury.

Just seconds after Swailes's opener, Murphy sliced wide at the opposite end after more incisive play from Windass, a miss which signalled the striker's exit.

Joey Beauchamp was the man entrusted with saving Oxford's skin and he came up with the goods 11 minutes from time, only to see the Republic of Ireland No 2 Kiely turn a Windass shot on to a post.

By now the rain was pelting down, but Bury managed to weather the Oxford storm as Thomson directed a free 89th minute header straight at Kiely.

That's a meagre two points from 24 on their league travels this term for United. The peformance deserved to more than double that tally but, as they say, it never rains but it pours.

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