LR battle to end honours even in Shakers friendly
Atherton LR kept up their 100-per-cent pre-season record with a dramatic 1-1 draw against Northern Premier League West side Bury on Saturday.
The NWCFL Premier Division champions visited Crilly Park during last seasons pre-season which saw Alex Cherera volley home an 11th-minute goal to win the game for the Shakers a year ago.
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This time the sides began with Bury holding most of the possession, however with a mix of trialists and first-team players, the opportunities did not take flight.
Atherton LR fought their way back into the game and after 19 minutes the deadlock was broken.
A defensive error allowed Cal Hunter to break down the wing and craft a deep run into the Bury box, eventually slotting the ball past Russell Saunders' far post.
The quick start was a shock to the visitors who, despite controlling the game, had fallen behind and needed to respond quickly
However, some brilliant defending by the Yellows fought off any chance Bury found and the teams entered the break with LR holding a narrow 1-0 lead.
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The Shakers introduced their second-half XI, making major changes ahead of their reintroduction. Those changes were highlighted with the shift in tempo as Bury launched more chances towards Joe Bickerstaffe and his defensive line.
The Shakers eventually found the net in the 77th minute, with Kai Evans finding a loose ball at the edge of the LR area, cutting inside and beating his man tp drill the ball home.
The game was battled out until the final whistle with honours even.
LR boss Dave Jones said: 'It was a good physical test for us against a good side. We knew it would be difficult and we would have to spend long times without the ball, but it's a good test and gives us a different sort of challenge than the other pre season games.
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'I'd like to personally thank Dave McNabb for bringing his side to us and all the Bury fans that travelled - it is not just a good exercise on the pitch it's also vital revenue for us off the pitch with a crowd of 530.'
LR travel to Barnton on Tuesday for their third pre-season outing.
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