Bury 0 Barnsley 0 THE Gigg Lane goal drought will cost Bury their First Division status if they aren't careful. That much is clear after another goalless stalemate frustrated their fans and had them calling for the heads of boss Neil Warnock and chairman Terry Robinson.

The shot-shy Shakers have only scored once in front of their own supporters this year and it's a problem that needs addressing if their survival fight is to succeed.

With the likes of Bolton, Wolves, Sunderland and Bradford City all due at Gigg Lane in the coming weeks the Shakers really ought to be picking up three points from the likes of Barnsley.

But a lack of firepower allied to another dodgy refereeing decision contrived to make them wait at least till tomorrow evening for a first victory in 1999. Tykes boss John Hendrie hit the nail on the head when he said this Roses clash wasn't one for the connoisseur.

The Yorkshiremen - also without a league win this year - could be forgiven for having one eye on tomorrow's FA Cup quarter final tie against Tottenham but the free-scoring form they showed against Bolton in midweek was never in evidence.

In truth Bury looked the only side that wanted the three points and although things aren't happening for them up front they seem to have sorted out the defensive frailties that have hampered them in recent matches.

"If our defence had been as solid a few weeks ago we'd have got results out of games that we lost," said Warnock who accepted the sponsors man-of-the-match award after receiving verbal abuse at the final whistle. "I'm disappointed not to have won but the lads have done everything they can and that's all I can ask."

For the second successive week Chris Billy came the closest to scoring when he hit the woodwork three minutes after the interval. This time it was a screaming right foot shot from 30 yards that had Tony Bullock in the Barnsley goal beaten all ends up and cannoned away to safety.

But the crucial moment in the game arrived a minute before half time when a miscued clearance by Arian de Zeeuw sent loan star Paul Hall racing clear on goal.

Hall was unceremonially upended by Adie Moses but referee Kevin Lynch chose only to show the Barnsley defender a yellow card when it looked nailed-on a sending off offence.

After the game Hendrie said he thought Moses was lucky to stay on the field and even Lynch admitted after seeing a video of the incident that he had made a mistake.

But that's just the sort of ill-luck the Shakers are having at present.

"I think Kevin Lynch is a good referee but I feel sick to the stomach about that decision," he said.

"The words I'd use to describe it would get me into trouble so I'll leave it alone.

"While the lads are disappointed they aren't downhearted. We just have to keep scrapping for the points and that might be the one that keeps us up!"

FORM GUIDE

Kiely 7, West 7, Serrant 7, Daws 7, Lucketti 8, Redmond 7, Swailes 7, Hall 7, D'Jaffo 7, Billy 8, Littlejohn 7. Subs Preece (for D'Jaffo 74 mins) Jemson (for Littlejohn 84) and Foster. Att: 4,696.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.