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On a windy day at Creighton, with United kicking down the slope but against the conditions, the Blues had the first half-chance of the game when Mark Beck flicked on a James Bonner throw-in across goal but wide of the Shakers far-post on four minutes. Beck's cross in from the left five minutes later then seeing Steven Swinglehurst head the ball back from the far-post into the path of Dan Jones 12 yards out, Jones though bobbling his right-footed volley from there straight into the gloves of Christian Dibble.
With 13 minutes on the clock Carlisle's David Symington pounced on a loose ball at the Bury back-stick, but his cross-shot from ten yards out on a tight angle flashed straight across the goal on its way out behind. Three minutes later and the visitors got their opening gambit in when, after United conceded possession, right-winger Luke McCarthy, from a Billy Crawshaw pass, crashed a right-footed 12-yard drive over Jon Ball's angle of near-post and crossbar.
It was the Blues back at it on 18 minutes however when Symington's ball in from the right found Beck at the far-post, Beck taking a quick touch inside on his right foot before hitting a goalward effort from the middle of the box low towards the bottom corner. Dibble though, son of famous goalkeeper Andy, making an excellent save as he parried the shot away with both hands.
Beck then turned provider sixty seconds later with a cross in from the left for Ben McKenna at the back-stick, McKenna first seeing his 12-yard shot blocked though, with a partly unsighted Dibble then making another good save from a similar distance on McKenna's follow-up effort. Beck then shortly afterwards sending a looping header up into the arms of Dibble on the bounce from the edge of the box on the back of a long ball up from Bonner.
The Shakers then responded after 22 minutes when Danny Hudson laid off a touch for Adam Dawson, the Bury midfielder though hitting his right-footed strike from the edge of the United 'D' straight at Ball. Six minutes later and Blues left-back Matt Osmond put a lovely pass through the back of the Shakers defence for Jones to run onto, Jones however, one-on-one with Dibble ten yards out, only able to toe-poke a shot straight against the legs of the Bury stopper.
Just after the half-hour mark and it was Cumbrians skipper Swinglehurst looking to get on the scoresheet, but his eight-yard header from a McKenna corner glanced straight off his forehead and zoomed out for a goal-kick at the far-post. The game then swinging straight up the other end after 33 minutes when Hudson fired in a powerful right-footed strike from long range that brought a good diving save out of Ball.
Three minutes later and Beck lobbed a pass across for Phil Towler 15 yards out in the left-hand channel, Towler taking the ball down well on his chest but his right-footed half-volley from there drifted inches wide of the Shakers back-stick with Dibble seemingly beaten. As the game began to get more end to end Bury had a shot on the United goal with 38 minutes gone after McKenna had given the ball away, Wade Joyce cracking a shot from fully 35 yards out marginally wide of the target.
McKenna then cut in from the left for Carlisle three minutes later but he got straight under his right-footed 15-yard effort as it flew miles over Dibble's crossbar. Bury centre-half Kyle McGonigle then put in a similar end product for the Shakers two minutes later, albeit from much, much longer range, with the potshots continuing to end the half as a minute before the interval visitors right-winger McCarthy fired a drive with his right boot from 25 yards out well wide of Ball's left-hand post.
And we started off as we had finished after the break when with 49 minutes gone, Jones trying his luck from a long way out but his right-footed 35-yard strike proved an easy one for Dibble to take. Neither goalkeeper was having anything particularly difficult to do now and two minutes later McKenna fed in Blues central midfielder Josh Todd for a shot on his left boot from just outside the Shakers penalty area, Dibble though able to watch the ball disappear away wide of his far-post.
With 56 minutes on the clock a mistake by Carlisle centre-half Lance McGlen allowed McCarthy to get a right-footed shot away from 25 yards out, that effort on the United goal forcing a good save out of Ball. Sixty seconds later and it was the young Blues attacking again though when Towler touched a pass across for Beck on the left-angle of the Shakers box, Beck then tapping the ball up for a left-footed volley from there which zoomed away over the top of Dibble's crossbar.
Bang on the hour-mark and it was Symington looking to break the deadlock but his powerfully hit shot with his right boot from fully 35 yards out flashed narrowly wide of the visitors far-post. Sixty seconds later and Bonner's deep cross in the from the right broke straight to Towler eight yards out at the Bury back-stick, Towler though sending a slightly weak header, as he had to produce his own power on the goalbound effort, into the arms of a well-placed Dibble.
Carlisle were well on top now as they searched for that elusive opening goal of the game and with 62 minutes gone the busy Symington sent in a right-footed drive from 25 yards out, but once more it only produced a relatively easy save for Dibble. United then missing a good chance to get the scoreboard moving shortly afterwards when Swinglehurst, diving low at the far-post to get his head on an Osmond corner, sent his effort narrowly wide of the target from close range.
Towler was next up as the Blues provider after 64 minutes when he showed some neat footwork to set up Symington for a right-footed drive from 20 yards out that whistled over the top of Dibble's woodwork. Midway through the second-half and Towler was involved again when a McKenna corner broke across to him to the left of the visitors 'D', his shot from there though being dragged away beyond the Bury back-stick.
Towler then playing McKenna in for a shooting opportunity with 69 minutes gone, but once more the United goalscoring boots had been left at home as McKenna's right-footed 15-yard drive disappeared away over the top. Blues boss Eric Kinder making his first change in personnel six minutes later as Adam Gill replaced Jones in an effort to get something going in the United forward line.
Gill's first involvement in the game being to work a one-two with McKenna after 77 minutes, McKenna however, from just inside the Shakers penalty area, slicing his right-footed drive away wide of the visitors far-post. The Cumbrians then making another change two minutes later as 15-year old schoolboy central midfielder Josh Calvert came on for Bonner, that then seeing Symington move into Bonner's vacant right-back role.
Carlisle had been running out of gas a little bit in an attacking sense as the clock ran down and it was Bury who had the next chance on goal in the 86th minute. Dawson's right-footed strike from 22 yards out bringing not the best of parries out of Ball as he palmed the shot onto his far-post, the Blues keeper no doubt relieved to then see the ball ping back into his gloves. That being the last action of the game for Dawson as he was replaced by Dalton McLaughlin two minutes later.
As we moved into the final minute United wasted a good opportunity to nick a late winner when Osmond's long ball up was missed by the head of McGonigle. That leaving Gill with the chance to run in clear on goal but his second touch on the ball was too heavy as he raced away from the Shakers defence and that allowed Dibble to dive on it just inside his own penalty area.
So, two games gone now at the start of the league season and no goals scored yet, which will be of concern to Blues boss Eric Kinder. The back-line doesn't look like conceding too often though so perhaps we could see a few more goalless draws this year, this draw today being Carlisle's first in the league in 33 matches, going back to March 2009. Next Saturday morning the young Blues looking for all three points as they make the trip down the M6 to Rochdale.
United line-up :
Jon Ball, James Bonner (Josh Calvert 79), Matt Osmond, Josh Todd, Steven Swinglehurst (c), Lance McGlen, David Symington, Phil Towler, Mark Beck, Dan Jones (Adam Gill 75), Ben McKenna.
Unused substitutes :
Joe Clements (GK) and Adam Telfer.
Bury line-up :
Christian Dibble, Tommy Toth, Levi Clarke, Billy Crawshaw, Kyle McGonigle, Jordan Melia, Luke McCarthy, Wade Joyce, Danny Hudson, Adam Dawson (Dalton McLaughlin 88), Liam Boswell.
Unused substitutes :
Ryan Howley (GK), Dale Jennings and Connor Loftus.
Referee - Mr A Backhouse.
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