WREXHAM 2 BURY 2: OPPOSING managers Andy Preece and Wrexham's Denis Smith were the only two people who weren't fully satisfied with events at the Racecourse after both teams were cheered off at the final whistle.

Preece believed his side should have taken all three points after battling back from two goals down to level midway through the second half.

And he had a case as the 10-man Welshmen looked there for the taking once Jon Newby restored parity.

As for Smith, he was seething that his tricky winger Carlos Edwards received his marching orders for striking Colin Woodthorpe just before the break.

The Reds boss reckoned the Bury man should have joined the Caribbean flanker down the tunnel after a series of overzealous challenges.

But despite their disappointment both managers had to admit that their opponents on the day were the best sides they had faced this season.

Wrexham took advantage of another slow start from the Shakers to rattle up a two goal lead inside the first 25 minutes.

In Andy Morrell the home side boasted the country's leading scorer with 11 goals prior to the game and he wasted no time in adding a couple more to his tally.

He was allowed an inordinate amount of time to turn on the edge of the Bury box and fire a superb left foot drive past Glyn Garner for the first after 22 minutes.

Then three minutes later a rash challenge by Michael Nelson saw Hector Sam go down in the penalty area and Morrell gratefully celebrated his 13th of the campaign from the spot.

Despite the double setback the Shakers always looked capable of causing problems for the home defence with Newby and Pawel Abbott's intelligent front play a constant menace.

The duo combined to reduce the arrears just after the half hour mark when the powerful Abbott shrugged off the attention of three Wrexham defenders in a strong run into the box before sidefooting to his co-striker who clinically fired past Andy Dibble.

The dismissal of Edwards, who gave the Bury defence plenty to think about on the right wing, changed the face of the game.

Yet Morrell could have grabbed his second hat-trick of the season just after the interval when slack defending at Darren Ferguson's quickly taken free-kick allowed him to strike a low drive past Garner that bounced back of the foot of the post.

The chance served as a wake-up call for Preece's side who began to make their numerical advantage pay with some slick attacking soccer.

Their endeavours were rewarded on the hour when the livewire Newby raced onto an underhit backpass from Paul Barrett to round Dibble and convert from a narrow angle sending the vociferous Shakers fans behind the former City keeper's goal wild.

That should have been the signal for the Shakers to press home their advantage but not for the first time this term they failed to kill off opponents who ought to have been there for the taking.

With eight minutes remaining Newby looked certain to pick up a hat-trick match ball when he raced onto a Gareth Seddon pass, sprinted clear of the defence but watched in agony as Dibble made a fine block.

Seconds later Garner repeated Dibble's heroics with a superb stop to keep out Barratt's goalbound effort after the Wrexham man tried to make up for his costly mistake.

BURY FORMGUIDE: Garner 8, Barrass 8, Swailes 7, Nelson 7, Unsworth 7, Billy 8, Forrest 6, Abbott 8, Dunfield 6, Woodthorpe 7, Newby 9. Subs: Clegg (for Forrest, 58) 7; Seddon (for Swailes, 80). Not used: Preece, Hill, O' Shaughnessy.

REFEREE: Mr M. G. Cowburn (Lancashire)

ATTENDANCE: 3,941