Lowe pleased with point despite losing ground in title race

Posted Sunday, March 24, 2019 by PA

Bury manager Ryan Lowe insisted he was happy with his side’s point at Grimsby, despite losing ground in the League Two title race.

The Shakers continued their unbeaten run in 2019, but had to settle for a goalless draw at Blundell Park as the hosts defended well throughout.

Both sides had their chances in an entertaining game, with the visitors proving to be the more threatening as the game wore on.

The point puts a dent in Bury’s hopes of catching Lincoln, who won 3-0 at Crawley, at the top of the table, although Lowe didn’t feel too disappointed with his side’s haul on their travels.

“In the first half, I don’t think we were as good as we’ve been,” Lowe said.

“Having that weekend when we didn’t play, sometimes it helps you and sometimes it affects you.

“We knew in the first 20 minutes they were going to get at us and get in our faces.

“I felt we didn’t get started well, but in the second half I thought there was only one team that wanted to win it.

“But you have to give Grimsby a lot of credit, they’re always putting bodies on the line, and we didn’t have that clinical edge today.

“It’s a good point though, it’s a point nearer to where we need to get to, and it sets us on our target.

“Overall, I’m happy with the point. I’m a bit disappointed we didn’t take all three, but when you come to a place like Grimsby you’ve got to be happy with a point.”

For Grimsby boss Michael Jolley, a second goalless draw in consecutive weeks was welcomed against one of the division’s top sides, and he paid tribute to his side’s efforts in matching their title-chasing opponents.

“You can see Bury are a good side,” Jolley said.

“They’ve got good players, and they’re second in the table for a reason.

“They pose a clear threat, and there was a big defensive responsibility on us today, but I thought the players delivered that really well.

“I can’t remember too many clear chances for Bury, although there were one or two moments as the game wore on.

“As the game opened up, there were chances for us to counterattack and play into the spaces, certainly in the last 20 minutes. It was just a shame we couldn’t make more of the chances we had.

“I think both teams tried to get on the front foot and get that first goal. We wanted to do slightly better with the ball in the first half, but that’s not always possible.

“Overall though, I think it was a performance we can be quite pleased with.”