Bury were happy to settle for a share of the spoils at a frosty Moss Rose on Saturday.

The Shakers might have snatched all three points after Macclesfield's Matthew Flynn was shown a second yellow card with 16 minutes remaining.

But Alan Knill was content to stretch Bury’s superb away record to one defeat in 10 league games having seen the home side take charge following a frenetic start.

Martin Gritton’s sixth-minute opener for Town was cancelled out just two minutes later by Stephen Dawson and the Shakers secured a draw to creep into fifth place.

“It was a great goal for us after conceding a really poor one,” said Knill. “I thought we’d then steady ourselves but we never really got going again. They competed better than us from start to finish. We could have nicked it but even against 10 men I didn’t think we played particularly well.”

The Silkmen had already gone close through Simon Yeo before the former Bury striker headed against the crossbar and strike partner Gritton pounced to nod home the rebound.

Bury made a quick response, though, with Dawson rounding off a fine breakaway.

Andy Bishop and Glynn Hurst combined to give Dawson a shooting opportunity and the midfielder fired inside the far post for his second goal of the season.

The two sides were then locked in a midfield scrap, with ex-Shaker Terry Dunfield in impressive form as he pulled the strings for the home side.

Mike Jones managed to break free to unleash a couple of long-range efforts before Bishop fired wide from an Elliott Bennett cross.

Wayne Brown produced a fine one-handed save to claw out a deflected effort from Dunfield and the Bury keeper made another crucial block just after the break after Yeo turned Ben Futcher and Dave Buchanan to go one-on-one.

Brown kept the Shakers in it as he denied Gritton and sub Francis Green, while Macclesfield made a strong penalty appeal for Paul Scott’s last-ditch challenge on Dunfield.

Flynn’s red card handed the initiative to Bury and sub Andy Morrell went closest to snatching what would have been an undeserved victory.

“I’m disappointed with the performance and everybody in the dressing room realises we have to be better,” Knill added. “But I suppose it’s one of those where before we might have lost it.

“Macclesfield were on a good run so it’s probably a decent point. You have to take that and move on because it’s a point closer to where we want to be.”

Bury: Brown 8; Scott 7, Futcher 6, Sodje 7, Buchanan 7; Bennett 7, Dawson 7, Barry-Murphy 6, Jones 7 (Morrell 80, 7); Bishop 7, Hurst 7 (Baker 61, 6). Subs not used: Cresswell, Howell, Racchi.