Bury suffered a late defeat in the first of two matches played behind-closed-doors as visitors Barnoldswick Town beat the Shakers 2-1.

Under the lights on an eerily quiet Tuesday night at Gigg Lane Dave McNabb made several changes from the side beaten by Irlam on the weekend. Oli Jepson returned to the side reuniting with defensive partner Tom Moore for the first time in a month while full-back Jordan Butterworth was preferred to Jacob Holland-Wilkinson and Miles Storey made his first start up front for the home side.

Bury were largely in control during the first half dominating possession but it was the visitors who carved out the first chance of the evening, Harry Wright saving well from a Jack Foster glancing shot from a low corner.

It was the Shakers who took the lead, Miles Storey latching onto a long pass from Butterworth drawing out Barlick goalkeeper Callum Jakovlevs before squaring the ball to Burns to slide into the open goal.

The home side had further chances to extend their lead, their best opportunities falling to Butterworth who headed a cross wide and Andy Scarisbrick who forced a good save from Jakovlevs, Burns goal however was the difference between the sides.

Bury pushed on to find their second goal after the break, Butterworth had a shot saved by Jakovlevs when perhaps he should have squared the ball to Scarisbrick, Burns fired a shot just wide of goal while Gaz Peet struck the post from a long-range shot.

Despite the disparity between the sides in terms of possession and the number of chances Bury were still walking a fine line. This was apparent with an audacious effort from Barnoldswick winger Oliver Roberts who tried to score from inside his own half. Harry Wright caught the lobbed effort that represented the away side’s first notable chance of the second half.

The visitors continued to play on the home side’s complacency with defender Thomas Dean firing over the bar from a free kick before forward Gareth Hill sent a looping header over the despairing reach of Wright. Out of nowhere Bury were pegged back and it would only get worse.

Harry Wright taking a free kick for an offside call inadvertently kicked the dead ball twice. The referee awarded an indirect free kick to Barnoldswick from a dangerous location. The ball was laid off to Andy Hill who fired a great shot into the bottom corner to give the Barlick an improbable lead.

Now a goal behind Bury refound their urgency. Substitute Dean Pinnington saw a shot blocked on the line while Tom Moore had a header saved by Jakovlevs. Benito Lowe struck the bar with a long-range effort deflected onto the woodwork, from the subsequent corner Scarisbrick volleyed onto the post and in the scramble that followed Barnoldwick had to clear efforts off the line twice.

It was all in vain however and the loudest cheers of the night came from the few players and coaches who travelled to Gigg Lane and escaped with three points.

Bury remain in top spot but only on goal difference and with other clubs holding games in hand. The margin of error for Bury’s promotion campaign has disappeared and Dave McNabb’s side must find ways to win again. The second of Bury’s behind-closed-doors matches will be played on Saturday against bogey side Charnock Richard.