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The Shakers started well too on four minutes, a free-kick, conceded by Matthew Wood, flying well wide of Grant Carson's far-post from 22 yards out. Sixty seconds later it was Wood himself getting a strike in on goal on what seemed to be a rock-hard new surface but his 25-yard right-footed effort was pulled wide of the Bury goal.
Shortly afterwards the visitors took the lead after Tom Aldred had conceded a free-kick 30 yards out on the United left. The cross was swung in and with Carson rooted to his line the Shakers centre-forward was able to head the ball home from six yards out. Bury almost doubling their lead in the ninth minute when some good approach work down the left-wing led to Carson having to save well from a 15-yard left-footed drive.
The visitors were well on top in the early stages and on 13 minutes some more good play going forward saw a close-range shot pulled badly wide of the Carlisle goal. Some good interplay upfront from the Bury strikers causing the Cumbrians problems in the early stages as they struggled to get into the pace of the game.
Sixty seconds later though Connor Tinnion made a good run down the left for the Blues and set up Wood whose shot from 18 yards out deflected straight up into the air at the back-stick. United's Andrew Cook winning the ball well in an aerial challenge with Bury's diminutive goalkeeper six yards out only for his header to hit the inside of the post and bounce away to safety.
The ball was never fully cleared though with United winning a corner which Wood swung in to the back-post. The centre in flying over everyone to a surprised John Seaton two yards out who was left with the simple task of knocking the ball into the back of the Bury net to level matters and notch his debut goal in Carlisle colours.
With 16 minutes on the clock Carson had to be alert to make a good save with his legs from a shot just inside the Carlisle box. Then midway through the half, as the match began to calm down a little after the frenetic early stages, Tinnion fired a 22-yarder over the top of the Bury goal with his left foot.
United missed a good chance on 25 minutes when a long Carson goal-kick was flicked on by Stephen Hindmarch into the path of Cook, the young striker slicing his 22-yard left-foot half-volley well wide of the near-post when he perhaps had time to take a touch. Skipper Matthew Brown was next up to the plate for the Blues sixty seconds later but his left-footed 30-yarder flew straight at the Shakers keeper.
Just after the half-hour mark Carlisle left-back Matthew Duffy put a good cross in but Hindmarch could only send his header looping into the arms of the Bury custodian from 12 yards out. The Cumbrians making a tactical change around the same time as Seaton and Tinnion swapped wings in an effort to make more hay down the flanks.
In the 41st minute a shot by the Shakers left-winger was sliced wide of Carson's near-post from 18 yards out. Then two minutes later another good delivery at a Carlisle corner from Tinnion saw Aldred have a close-range header saved before Seaton had his own shot blocked from six yards out at the back-post, Bury then hacking the loose ball clear before the first period ended.
Straight from the kick-off in the second-half Cook showed some great tenacity as he battled away down the right to lay the ball back to Hindmarch 12 yards out, Hindmarch blazing his right-footed shot over the top from a tough angle. Two minutes in and Bury made their first change in the match when the pacey left-winger hobbled from the concrete-like pitch with an ankle injury.
Shortly afterwards one of the Shakers midfielders made a good run down the right as he cut inside Duffy only to fire a weak left-footed shot straight at Carson from ten yards out. With 51 minutes gone the Blues took the lead after Cook pushed a lovely slide-rule pass through for Wood ten yards out on the left-angle. Wood showing great composure to lift the ball over the diving Bury keeper and into the back of the net to put Carlisle 2-1 up.
Four minutes later Carson was once more doing all the work with his legs as he spread himself well to block a 15-yard shot from the visitors. Shortly afterwards Brown again tried his luck from his range with a right-footed 30-yarder that flew well over, then just before the hour-mark the Shakers made another change in personnel, this time upfront.
After 64 minutes Aldred conceded a free-kick 30 yards out in the left-hand channel, a position from which the visitors looked dangerous throughout the match. Carson came racing off his line for the cross in, but, on not one of his better days, a Bury player got there first only to see his 12-yard header hacked away from the United line by Duffy.
The next action saw both sides bring on a substitute. Carlisle going first in the 67th minute when youth team boss Eric Kinder brought on Gary Madine, back from losing a toenail two weeks ago, for Tinnion, Madine going upfront with Cook while Hindmarch dropped back onto the left-hand side of midfield. The change in personnel for the Shakers coming at right-back three minutes later.
With 14 minutes to go United's Jonny Blake made a good tackle in the middle of the pitch before feeding Cook down the right-hand channel. Cook then pushing a pass across the box for Madine 12 yards out, the Blues striker was perhaps a little too casual though as his side-footed effort on his right foot back across the Bury keeper went just wide of the target.
Five minutes later one of the Bury midfielders was booked for kicking out at Wood, that resulting in a bout of handbags between the rest of the players. The Shakers went close to equalising in the 84th minute when Dan Wordsworth gave away a free-kick 25 yards out on the left-wing. A 12-yard header from the resultant cross flying inches wide of Carson's near-post.
The visitors had been pressing hard for an equaliser ever since Carlisle took the lead and their pace upfront and down the flanks was certainly causing the Blues plenty of problems. The next chance for Bury seeing one of the substitutes fire a shot well over the top of the United goal with his right-foot from fully 25 yards out.
You had the distinct feeling that that late leveller for the visitors would come though, and it finally did three minutes from time. In a similar vein to the first goal for the Cumbrians a corner from the left went over the top of everybody before a Bury player ran in eight yards out at the United back-post to volley the ball home on his right-foot for a well controlled finish.
No further chances for either side came to find the win despite the referee playing five minutes of injury time. The final whistle signalling the end of the game which both teams will believe they should have won, although a draw was probably the fair result given the opportunities created.
United line-up :
Grant Carson, Matthew Brown, Matt Duffy, Dan Wordsworth, Tom Aldred, Jonny Blake, Matthew Wood, John Seaton, Stephen Hindmarch, Andrew Cook, Connor Tinnion (Gary Madine 67).
Unused substitutes :
Alex Mitchell (GK), Michael Dowson and Shaun Law.
United goalscorers - John Seaton (14) and Matthew Wood (51).
Results in the division this morning :
Accrington Stanley 0-2 Wigan
Burnley 3-1 Blackpool
Carlisle 2-2 Bury
Preston 3-1 Morecambe
Rochdale 2-3 Oldham
Shrewsbury 2-1 Chester
Tranmere 0-3 Port Vale
Walsall 4-2 Stockport
Fixtures in the division next Saturday :
Bury v Accrington Stanley
Macclesfield v Stockport
Morecambe v Burnley
Oldham v Carlisle
Rochdale v Blackpool
Shrewsbury v Preston
Tranmere v Chester
Wigan v Walsall
Wrexham v Port Vale
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