A youthful Bury side made an early exit from the Frank Hannah Manchester Premier Cup, beaten 4-2 by hosts Abbey Hey. It was the proverbial game of two halves the Shakers taking a lead into the break only for the Reds to make a storming comeback in the second half.

With the first team afforded a well-earned rest there was an opportunity for Bury’s Under 23 side to make their mark in senior football. Eight of the starting eleven and all substitutes were from the Shakers’ youth system.

From the very beginning Bury looked the more likely to score. Jack Dunn teed up Patrick Jarrett to shoot but on his debut the former Queen’s Park midfielder blazed his shot just past the far post. Captain Luis Cantello then had an opportunistic shot from outside the box that just cleared the crossbar.

The young Shakers proved too much for the home side to handle, especially on the wings. Cole Dewhurst sent a cross to Dunn that was volleyed wide while a penetrating pass to Papis Touray saw Bury’s winger force a great save from the keeper.

Fellow attacker Mason Beard had the ball in the back of the net from a Touray cross but he had set off a fraction too early and was flagged offside. Meanwhile one of the few senior players for Bury Josh Gregory placed a looping header from a corner narrowly wide of the far post.

Eventually Bury grabbed a deserved lead. Again the dangerman Touray got in behind the defence and pulled the ball back to Beard who had an easy finish.

Beard then doubled his and Bury’s tally for the evening, a Cantello pass looped up invitingly for Beard who swung a volley into the top corner to score a fine goal.

Bury’s dominance forced Abbey Hey manager Simon Heaton to look to his bench before half-time bringing on first-teamers Rhys Clooney and Jason Dunford in place of his overrun full-backs. Dunford made an immediate impact slipping a great pass through to Joel Ankers who scored at the second attempt.

There was just one more chance for Bury before the break Alik Babayan bounding down the left wing on a counter-attack sent in a cross that was just a fraction too high for the open Dunn. The young Shakers went into the break with the lead but perhaps deserved a larger one on the balance of play.

The second half started at the first had ended, another Babayan ball to Dunn but this time the Bury number 9 put his shot over the bar. The match however changed dramatically minutes later.

Babayan put in a poor challenge on Saul Henderson. Though it was ill-timed rather than malicious the referee reached for his pocket and pulled out the red card. With Cantello left isolated in the middle and subsequent substitutions not having the intended impact Bury lost the midfield battle and the tide turned.

Abbey Hey were quick to pounce upon their one-man advantage Ankers scoring his second and the home side’s equaliser heading in a corner. Ankers would nearly grab his hat-trick with a shot that was pushed over the bar by Bury keeper Sam Jones.

Jordan Barnett then had a free-kick curl just wide of the top corner. Bury were just holding onto parity and trying to survive long enough until penalties, but this hope was soon dashed.

Jones stormed far out of his penalty area to clear a chance his defence weren’t able to get away, however his clearance only made it as far as Rhys Clooney who placed a long-range effort easily into the vacant goal. The hosts then made sure of their lead, skipper Josh Dickin firing a deflected shot in at the far post from another corner to grab his side’s fourth.

There were late chances for the ten men of Bury, Gregory had a header from a corner blocked while substitute Jermaine Dickinson-Grant had another header saved by the keeper after a Zaid Smith cross.

Bury were well beaten in the end but many young prospects did themselves proud and but for some missed chances and better decision making this side of mostly teenagers could have emerged victorious.