NEIL Warnock watched his brave Bury side notch their fifth draw on the bounce and declared: "I wish we were starting the season again!" After last week's capture of Huddersfield striker Paul Barnes, the Shakers chief believes he at last has 11 men capable of matching any team in the division and, on Saturday's evidence, he is right.

Bury held the upper hand for much of the game against the promotion-chasing Londoners, enjoying the bulk of possession whilst limiting the Hornets to only a handful of serious attacks.

Yet that first away victory of the season still proves elusive. The deserved point, however, edged them out of the bottom three and they have just eight games remaining to make sure they stay there.

"I wish we were starting the season five games ago with the team we have now," said Warnock. "The quality we have brought in has added another dimension to our game.

"We just need that bit of luck to go our way in the last few games."

That 'bit of luck' eluded Bury on more than one occasion at Vicarage Road. The tricky Paul Hall, who, with fellow on-loaner Carl Serrant, will stay at Gigg Lane until the end of the season, was seemingly hauled down inside the Watford box 10 minutes from half-time, but referee Mick Fletcher ruled first contact was made outside the area and awarded only a free kick.

And deep into second half stoppage time Serrant whipped a gorgeous ball across the face of goal but both Hall and the outstanding Barnes swung and missed.

"We definitely had the better chances," said Warnock. "I felt we were in charge in the first half and we tried to raise the tempo in the second to grab a goal. They had a good spell in the second half but we came good at the end. "We were a nat's breath from getting the three points."

Bury's other big scoring chance was the first of the game when skipper Chris Lucketti, the usual rock in defence, watched his header from Serrant's cross palmed over the bar by Alec Chamberlain.

Watford came closest through Tommy Mooney, whose 83rd minute header struck the cross bar, full back Darren Bazeley, who was twice denied by Dean Kiely, and Richard Johnson, whose 66th minute effort curled round the left hand upright. Kiely 8, Billy 7, Serrant 8, Daws 8, LUCKETTI 9, Redmond 8, Swailes 7, Hall 7, Barnes 8, James 7, Bullock 7. Subs: Littlejohn 7 (for James 45 mins); Jemson, West.

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