On a hot sunny afternoon, the Shakers reverted back to last seasons home kit and atte4mpted to take a positive result from Sheffield United, but it was the visitors that ran back to Sheffield with the spoils.

First blood though should have fallen to the Shakers; a ninth minute Bury corner saw a very deep delivery from Brian Barry-Murphy, Paul Scott peeled off the back post and flicked a looping header towards the six yard box that fell superbly for Danny Carlton.His bullet header, perfect with pace and direction, was majestically tipped over the bar by Ian Bennett stopping an obvious early goal for Bury.

Another half chance came Bury's way just two minutes later when a good run from Michael Jones saw him move the ball into the Sheffield area, a slight stumble though saw Jones lose possession with Morgan keen on getting the ball back to his keeper.Efe Sodje though had other ideas and leapt in front of Bennett to claim the ball, but Sodje's close control ball skills let him down and Morgan recovered to clear the danger.

Sheffield's first effort on goal came moments later when Nick Montgomery drove a long range effort at goal from 30 yards, but the only target he managed to find was about half way up the Manchester Road End Stand.The major shock of the game came just moments later when the Shakers made a substitute after just eleven minutes when Wayne Brown was replaced by trailist keeper James Spencer.Manager Alan Knill later confirmed thatBrown came off after feeling a twinge in his thigh - the same injury saw him miss two months from last season's campaign and the Shakers keeper came off as a precaution.

Sheffield took the lead on 28 minutes when Brian Howard took the ball to the touch line on the edge of the Shakers area, as Efe Sodje bore down on him, he lifted a high looping ball towards the back post where Leigh Bromby stooped to divert the ball home leaving James Spencer helpless in his attempts to stop the ball.

The next half chance came Bury's way some three minutes later.An excellent Stephen Dawson run took the ball into the Blades corner before he whipped a good ball into the box.Danny Carlton rose, whilst under some pressure from Chris Morgan, but he just couldn't get the right touch onto the ball to divert it goalwards and John Fortune stole in to clear the effort.

Brian Howard should have doubled the lead on 35 minutes when presented with the ball on the edge of the box with time and space to control and shoot.Just as he connected with the ball, Stephen Dawson appeared form nowhere and blocked the effort.

Kevin Blackwell turned half time into the usual pre-season farce by making six changes whilst Alan Knill kept faith with his starting eleven.Within minutes, the visitors stepped up a gear and Jordan Robertson found himself flying down the wing with the ball at his feet.He glanced past David Buchanan and swerved around Ben Futcher before crossing the ball into the box, but Paul Scott was on hand to head the ball away from Lee Hendrie inside the six yard box.

With five minutes of the second half gone, Danny Racchi produced the ball of the game with a long range pass that fell superbly for Ryan Lowe, though the home supporters were a little astonished to see the linesman decide the player was offside.It wouldn't be the first time the nearside official upset the main stand.

Moments later and Sheffield United's new addition Keith Treacey attempted to place the ball into the top corner of Spencer's goal from the edge of the box with a good curling effort, but Spencer was more than a match to the effort and held on firmly.

As sixty minutes ticked over on the scoreboard clock, Danny Carlton chipped a stunning ball through the middle for Ryan Lowe to latch onto, as the former Chester player touched the ball - cue the nearside official and his yellow flag again, to the obvious anger from the main stand.

Iain Bennett had a brief moment of madness on 65 minutes.Damian Allen had released Stephen Dawson through on goal; Ian Bennett charged out of his box and headed the ball clear of Dawson before volleying it out of play for a Bury throw.

Richie Baker forced Ian Bennett to make a good save on 68 minutes with a strong run through the heart of the blades defence before firing a rasping drive on target that Bennett had to dive smartly and tip around the post for a Bury corner.

Sheffield doubled their lead with just ten minutes' of the game left. A well worked move involving Glenn Little, Ryan France and Jordan Robertson saw the ball whipped between the three before Little crossed into the box and Robertson fired home from close range.

Finally, United wrapped up the game with the final substitute from Kevin Blackwell, Connor Brown, took the ball from Glenn Little and delivered it to the forehead of Robertson who headed home for his second and the Blades third of the game.

Bury: Brown (Spencer 11), Scott (Johnson 61), Buchanan (Allen 61), Futcher (Webster 61), Dawson, Carlton (Rouse 80), Barry-Murphy (Stott 61), Racchi (Baker 61), Jones (Brown 80), Lowe, Sodje (Cresswell 61).

Unused: Thompson, Rothwell.

Blades: Bennett (Haber 76) Bromby, Morgan (Kilgallon HT), Fortune (France HT), Taylor (Brown 82); Howard (Treacy HT), Montgomery (Hendrie HT), Quinn (Carney 72); Cotterill (Little HT), Ward (Robertson HT), Reid.

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