ANDY Cooke breathed a sigh of relief after opening his account for the season with the goal that kept Burnley's Worthington Cup hopes alive and kicking.

The Clarets' striker pounced on a mistake by Steve Redmond to secure a 1-1 draw and bring Bury back to Turf Moor for next Tuesday night's return leg with a second round place well within reach.

And Cooke, whose strike in the first round of last season's competition paved the way for a 20-goal campaign, was delighted to lift the pressure by getting of the mark this time around.

"I thought it wasn't going to come but I'm just glad I had the opportunity to stick one away," he said.

"Chances have been rare. The first game is always going to be hard and then it was going to be difficult here and the chances were going to be limited so I was glad to have just one opportunity.

"You just have to take a gamble you never know.

"One in 10 times something is going to happen and, fortunately, from a flick-on from Ronnie Jepson and a bit of a mix-up I just lobbed it over the keeper and it was nice to see it go in."

Cooke partnered Jepson for the first time and the two linked well in the absence of Andy Payton who was not risked by manager Stan Ternent because of his hamstring injury.

"I could have taken a chance on Andy but I couldn't afford to lose him for the league matches really," said the Burnley boss. And the Jepson-Cooke partnership might have produced a second-half winner if Cooke's clear run on goal hadn't been impeded by Bury defender Andy Woodward.

"He dragged me down and how he couldn't give anything I will never know. It bewildered me," said Cooke.

Ternent also felt the referee had got it wrong but the Burnley camp was content with a draw after a fighting second half performance replaced the shakes of the first to set up the second leg perfectly. We definitely didn't want to be beaten under any circumstances. In the first half we were not the best at times but the gaffer had a few words and in the second half we were a lot stronger," added Cooke whose away goal will only come into play in the unlikely event of a goalless draw at Turf Moor.

Ternent's return to Gigg Lane was a successful one but he is taking nothing for granted despite holding the First Division side on their own patch.

"It's a good result and it's all to play for next Tuesday," he said. "We know it's always hard here. Most of the players are my players and I know what they are capable of but don't be under any false illusions because when they come to Turf Moor next Tuesday it will be one hell of a game. "The game is dead level with 90 minutes to play, it's as simple as that. But next Tuesday will come into the equation on Sunday because we have got Chesterfield before then and that again will be tough so let's see what we can do there because the league is our priority really."

Ternent added: "I thought we were a little bit apprehensive again in the first half. We were sitting back waiting for things to happen and to see what they were going to do to us and this that and the other.

"I had a few words at half-time and the second half was much better. I thought they defended very well. They came under a lot of pressure and I thought they handled it very well.

"I was very disappointed with the goal we gave away. I thought it was a very poor goal but nevertheless they stuck in there and I think they got their just rewards in the end."

Referee John Kirkby, who was struck by something thrown from the away end during Burnley's game against Bristol Rovers on Saturday, has mentioned the incident in his report to the FA.

The FA will now consider the matter before deciding what action to take.

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