Results wise, it's not been a good pre-season for Mike Sheron and the Youth Team and that trend continued on Saturday with the opening game of the Puma Youth Alliance at Goshen on Saturday morning.

Without a win all summer, the Shakers youngsters have impressed with their performances, but with a premiership class opposition in their first game of the new season, Wigan took the points following a clinical strike late in the second half.

Although the performance was good, another defeat for the youngsters was disappointing; character building is another way of describing the defeat.

Despite the Shakers hitting the bar from Kevin Fields late in the second half, and Nathan Tosum missing the rebound, Bury couldn't get the equaliser they so deserved from the game.  Jarmaine Steele was particularly impressive and spurned a couple of good crosses from the right hand side and Lee Pugh's delivery.

Wigan got the goal with virtually their first meaningful attack of the game with around 20 minutes to go.  Shakers keeper Richard Branagan was left a virtual spectator for most of the game.

Speaking on Monday morning, Youth team manager Mike Sheron said:  "The result was probably more disappointing than any of the pre-season games because we didn't deserve it.  The keeper didn't have a save to make."

"They got the goal in the last 20 minutes when they got through on a one on one situation and it was disappointing to see it go in, but our reaction to the goal was pretty good.  From a team point of view, we started to play more as a team."

"We've done a lot of work on team shape of late and it was much better.  There was probably some first game nerves, especially after the pre-season we have had, but in general, it was a definite improvement, and I feel that they are taking on board what we are telling them, they seem to be more accepting that they need to improve, which is a good thing."

The Bury side was:  Ritchie Branagan, Alex Mallion, Carlos Edmonson-Rouse (Charnley 70), Andy Parkinson, David Thompson, Josh Rothwell (c), Ryan Kenyon (Fields 65), Andrai Jones, Chris Mason, Jermaine Steele (Tosum 55), Lee Pugh

Subs:  Kevin Fields, Nathan Tosum, Luke Charnley, Ryan Barrow, James Tannahill