Bury enjoyed a free-flowing goal fest of a match to start their season away at Squires Gate but returned home with just a single point earned from a 4-4 draw.

With the Shakers’ playoff disappointment of last season now confined to the history books, Dave McNabb’s side began a new campaign with a mostly new squad of players. None of the starting eleven against Squires Gate had played for Bury last season and only substitutes Andy Briggs and Sam Coughlan were present from that May afternoon in Wythenshawe.

The new-look Shakers had enjoyed a productive pre-season winning all seven of their friendlies including some against higher-ranked opposition and hopes were high that this season Bury would take one step on from last term and secure the long-awaited promotion.

On a warm and sunny day in Blackpool the Shakers began their season in front of a record crowd for the hosts. Most of the 1000 spectators supported the visitors, it wasn’t long before they had something to celebrate.

Full-back Bebeto Gomes already proving himself to be a great attacking threat outmuscled a Squires Gate defender in his own penalty area. Gomes pulled the ball back for Bryan Ly to shoot and while home goalkeeper Nathan Pennington made a fine initial save the ball fell to Iyrwah Gooden to blast home Bury’s opening goal of the new campaign after just six minutes.

Bury did not enjoy their lead for very long however. Barely a few minutes later Squires Gate had a rasping shot of their own and while Bury stopper Tom Stewart looked to have done enough to tip the ball away from danger the ball dipped, and landed into the far corner of the Bury goal, Dean Ing the grateful goalscorer.

Throughout the first-half Bury looked the more likely to score, Bryan Ly saw a shot fly just over the bar from another Gomes created opportunity while winger Rustam Stepans and forward Ruben Jerome both saw shots well saved by Pennington.

With Bury full-backs pushing into the attack leaving defenders overwhelmed and outnumbered the pressure eventually told. Squires Gates's defenders stretched to mark another six-man attack left former Charnock Richard man Rustam Stepans all alone with the ball and free to take a shot from the edge of the box. He beat Pennington at his near post slamming the ball home to give the away side the lead again.

Stepans then doubled his tally soon afterwards. A long ball forward by keeper Stewart was misjudged by a Gate defender and seizing upon the opportunity Stepans dashed in between the defender and oncoming goalkeeper, performed a scissor kick in midair to lift the bouncing ball over Pennington and into the back of the net giving Bury a 3-1 lead at the break.

While Bury may have enjoyed the first-half once the second began they were reminded they still had a battle on their hands. Quickly winning possession in midfield Dean Ing slid the ball to strike partner James Hughes who beat Stewart with a shot into the far bottom corner to halve the deficit. Stewart had to be on hand not long after to make a great reaction save from a Squires Gate free kick and when Ing fired a volley just wide of the post it became clear that Bury’s once comfortable lead was in danger.

Cometh the hour, cometh the man. As the match hit the hour-mark Bury regained their two-goal advantage with the much-celebrated Bryan Ly the scorer. Spurned by Ly’s late equaliser in the match against Wythenshawe last season the talismanic number 10 was now in Bury colours and cast as the hero. Jerome played a brilliant pass through the centre, Ly though starting from his own half beat his marker in a foot race and blasted the ball into Pennington’s top corner to the roars of the Bury fans behind that goal.

Once again however Bury’s joy was short-lived. Dean Ing once again the attacking threat; the tall centre forward had aerial superiority over the shorter Bury defenders and took full advantage. His header from a cross hit the post and ran across the face of goal. Squires Gate players appealed for a goal and the referee agreed the ball had crossed the line.

Bury had only conceded three times across the whole of preseason so the defensive frailty came as a shock. Worse still the flying fullbacks had worn themselves out and were replaced, without them Bury attacks were easily thwarted. It became clear that Bury were holding onto their lead and not extending it. With a little over 15 minutes to play the defence was breached again. A Squires Gate corner lead to a scramble. Stewart saved a point blank shot from Harries but the ball fell once again to Ing a yard out to complete his hat-trick and his side’s comeback. Appeals for offside fell on deaf ears.

Bury pushed for the lead once again but could not find their way back into the match. Gooden had the ball in the back of the net in added time but the winger was quickly ruled offside. The entertaining match ended four apiece giving Shakers fans a glimpse of what this season might entail, both the good and the bad.