Worthington Cup, First Round, second leg

Notts County 2, Bury 0 (Aggregate: 2-1)

BURY manager Neil Warnock vowed to step up his search for a striker after missed chances cost his side a place in the second round of the Worthington Cup.

The Shakers surrendered a first leg lead, falling to two late goals at Meadow Lane. Having dominated the first leg but winning only 1-0, Bury again failed to score the goals their approach play deserved.

Warnock, however, said his side were no worse than the Division Two leaders - apart from lacking a striker to play alongside Ian Lawson.

"The positives are that we look a quality side," he said. "They're top and I wouldn't swap many of theirs for ours.

"We have seen what the top of the league is like and there is nothing to worry about, but we haven't got someone like Mark Stallard to go with Lawson, who is still a bit naive. That's what we have got to find.

"Stallard got their penalty by being clever. Lawson could have got one in the first half, but he showed he's still naive."

The two wingers, Lutel James and Adrian Littlejohn, were involved in most of Bury's attacking play, but neither could match good approach work with a killer pass.

"Lutel only had to pass it," said Warnock of one chance that went begging. "He should have squared it. Adrian did the same in the last ten minutes."

With Lawson's goal separating the sides after the first leg, County began strongly and could have gone ahead in the first ten minutes.

Craig Ramage's flick set up Stallard, whose close-range shot was brilliantly saved by Shakers Pat Kenny and Duane Darby hit the rebound wide with the goal at his mercy.

James and Littlejohn were so dangerous on the counter-attack, they restricted the home wing backs to only the occassional foray. James hit the crossbar with what seemed to be a mis-hit cross, but tested County keeper Darren Ward with a low drive after a jinking run.

Andy Hughes should have levelled the tie, shooting wide after good work by Stallard. Then Bury had a let-off when referee Stephen Lodge missed an apparent handball by Sam Collins in the Bury box just before half-time.

The second half began well for the Shakers, although Lawson wasted a good chance to wrap up the tie with what would have been a similar goal to the one he won the first leg with.

The striker sprung the offside trap, but, with only Ward to beat from 18 yards out, his right-foot shot went the wrong side of a post.

Lawson then skipped past Mark Warren's dangerous tackle in the penalty area, but his low cross was cleared by Ian Richardson with Andy Preece lurking.

Richardson made two more last-ditch interceptions as Bury threatened throughout the second half, but after the introduction of Peter Beadle as a third striker, County wrestled back the initiative when former Manchester United defender Clayton Blackmore levelled the tie on 72 minutes.

A right-wing cross was only half cleared and Blackmore drilled a low shot past Kenny from 25 yards.

County began to take control and only a superb save by Kenny, clawing the ball away at full stretch, denied Stallard the goal his display deserved.

But the young Shakers keeper was powerless to stop Craig Ramage's decisive penalty seven minutes from the end.

Stallard's trickery won the kick. He was tripped by Collins and Ramage rose above the protests to send Kenny the wrong way from the spot.

NOTTS COUNTY: Ward, Warren (Beadle 67), Redmile, Richardson, Holmes, Hughes, Owers, Ramage (Bolland 90), Blackmore (Pearce 74), Darby, Stallard. Subs not used: Rapley, Lindley.

BURY: Kenny 8, Billy 7, Collins 6, C. Swailes 6, Reid 6; James 8 (Avdiu 85), Daws 7, Bullock (Barrick 85) 6, Littlejohn 7; Lawson 7, Preece (Barnes 85) 6. Subs not used: Williams, D. Swailes.

Referee: Mr S Lodge (Barnsley).

Attendance: 2,494.

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