Many changes were made to the side that started the Rochdale game on Tuesday evening, and with the league season now only seven days away, the decision form Alan Knill was well understood and received by those that had made the trip to Southport.Kyle Bennett was the only player missing though with an ankle injury keeping the exciting youngster out of this game.

The Shakers began the game brightly and quickly got their passing football into top gear.Over lapping full backs on both sides of the field caused problems for the home side within the first two minutes of the game.The best chance though came on two minutes when Joe Skarz collected the ball from Sweeney and immediately released Danny Carlton into the box, his quick turn saw his shot crash off the upright and brought an urgent clearance from Alan Moogan.

Another chance came Bury's way tow minutes later when Picken found Carlton down the flank, his first touch fell superbly for Lenell John-Lewis and his stinging shot from outside of the area warmed the palms of keeper Steve Dickinson.Moments later a quick run and shot on the turn had Dickinson again diving smartly to protect his goal.

Good work from Danny Carlton on nine minutes again could have resulted in the Shakers taking the lead.Twice he held off defenders to twist and turn into a decent shooting position, and when it did come, he found home keeper Dickinson again in good form with a smart diving save.

The game was stopped on 16 minutes with an injury to the far side linesman, normally it would be a swap with the fourth official, but an obvious lack of fourth official brought some concern.The game restarted around 12 minutes later with a member of the Southport coaching staff running the line.

Southport took the lead on 35 minutes when a free kick into the Bury box brought the deftest of touches from Early David, but his touch was enough to put it beyond Cameron Belford for the first goal of the game.

Goal: Southport 1 Bury 0 (David 35)

A challenge on Ben Futcher on 40 minutes brought some concern from the Bury dugout, with Futcher lying on the floor furiously beating the turf with one hand, it got worse moments later when a stretcher was called for and the Bury skipper left the field for treatment.Efe Sodje came straight on to replace him.

Bury got straight back into the game a minute later when a curling ball into the box from David Worrall was met by Joe Skarz, his first shot was palmed away by the home keeper, but the Shakers new left back persevered and tapped over the line from close range to make it all square.

Goal: Southport 1 Bury 1 (Skarz 44)

More good work from Danny Carlton as we entered into the first minute of a long injury time with the Bury striker pushing forward, whilst holding off a challenge from Earl Davis.The resulting free kick saw Jones fire the ball just wide of the target.

Moments later, Lenell John-Lewis and Carlton combined superbly with the former releasing the latter, only for Carlton's angled drive to be well stopped by the home keeper on the six yard line.

David Worrall should have put Bury into the lead four minutes into injury time, a sweeping move forward involving Picken on the far side, then Carlton and John-Lewis saw the ball pushed forward to Worrall.His first touch took him into the box but his shot again brought a good stop from Steve Dickinson in the Southport goal.

Half time: Southport 1 Bury 1

The second half commenced with neither side making any changes,Cameron Belford kept the Shakers in the game on 52 minutes when Southport broke through the Bury back four, a cheeky flick form Tony Gray brought a stretching right footed stop form the Bury keeper and a quick clearance from Joe Skarz.As the ball was moved up the field, a good pass from Lenell John-Lewis found David Worrall cutting into the box, his quick delivery found a home defender slamming the ball over his own bar whilst under pressure from John-Lewis.

Belford again kept Bury in the game with another save from his feet on 57 minutes, a rasping drive from Ashley Winn.Bury then made a raft of changes with the Shakers all of a sudden looking stronger in the final stages of the game.

Bury went in front moments later, a deep cross from Ryan Lowe into the box found Southport sub Kevin Lee diving and connecting with the ball to knock it into the back of his own goal

Goal: Southport 1 Bury 2 (Lee OG 61)

Southport went searching for an equaliser straight form the kick off, and nearly got one.A good ball into the middle found Matty McNeill, his first instinct was a ferocious volley that Cameron Belford again superbly saved before Sodje swept the ball down the field.Moments later, Southport skipper Michael Powell made the miss of the game, with the ball rolling towards him in the Bury six yard box, he attempted to place the ball and only pushed it out of play for a goal kick, with much amusement to the travelling Bury fans.

The home side got back into the game on 70 minutes when a neat cross into the Bury box found Tony Gray, and his quick feet put the ball beyond Belford to make it all square. 

Goal:  Southport 2 Bury 2 (Gray 70)

Despite Bury having the stronger side out, the final 15 minutes saw the home side having most of the ball, only wayward final shots and good defending prevented the home side from going into the lead.  Bury had an excellent chance on 70 minutes with Lenell John-Lewis playing a good pass to Schumacher, but his shot on goal was lept put by the alert Dickinson.

Moments later, some robust defending from SOuthport prevented shots from Ryan Lowe, Andy Haworth and Andy Bishop from reaching the target.  Haworth in particular showing a quick pair of feet to get his shot away.  With eight minutes of the game left, SOuthport should have again scored, a looping ball into the box brought an excellent header from McNeill, but Belford was more than equal to the chance and saved well at his nearside post.

Bury played the last ten minutes with a man short after Lenell John-Lewis came off with a slight knock, though in reality, it could hardly be noticed that we were a man short.

Bury:  Cameron Belford, Phil Picken, Joe Skarz (Haworth 60), Andrai Jones, Ben Futcher (Sodje 41), Damian Mozika (Rothwell 60), Michael Jones (Harrop 58), David Worrall (Schumacher 58), Danny Carlton (Bishop 58), Lenell John-Lewis, Peter Sweeney (Lowe 58),

Subs:  Andy Bishop, Zach Rothwell, Ryan Lowe, Efetobore Sodje, Steven Schumacher, Max Harrop, Andy Haworth, Neil Cutler

Southport:  Steve Dickinson, Robbie Williams, Chris Lever, Adam Flynn, Earl Davis, Alan Moogan, Ashley Winn, Michael Powell, Matty McNeil, Tony Gray, Matty McGinn

Subs:  Kevin Lee, Shaun Gray, Paul Henry, Steve Daly, Jake Ellis