BURY boss Kevin Blackwell hoped to use Saturday’s friendly at Radcliffe Borough as a chance to filter out a few trialists, but was instead left with question marks over the form of his contracted players.

Both managers effectively fielded two teams in the match – playing their first-choice sides in the opening 45 minutes before giving their fringe players and trialists a run-out after the break.

Worryingly for Blackwell, his contracted players went into half-time 1-0 down before the Bury wannabes spared their blushes with a second-half comeback.

Understandably, the 53-year-old coach preferred to focus on the spirited performance of his trialists, rather than pillory his hastily- assembled squad of first-choice players.

But he did have a warning for those possibly feeling a little too comfortable in their positions.

“Everybody starts level,” he said. “I’ve got no pre-conceived ideas on who starts – from number one to number 11. It’s a wide-open field.

“If people aren’t doing their job then my job at the moment is to find alternatives.

“Everybody’s fighting for their place. That’s what I want – competition.

“I want a good 15 or 16 players fighting for positions and I thought in the second half one or two put down a gauntlet.”

Former Manchester City forward Bradley Robinson showed great fleet of foot to give the Evo-Stik Division One North hosts the lead in the 24th minute, bringing a Chris Thompson centre under control before slotting the ball home.

Shaun Harrad, who spent last season on loan at Cheltenham, led the fight-back for Bury, looking like he had a point to prove as he marked his return with a man-of-the-match performance.

The 28-year-old forward could easily have had a hat-trick after testing the Boro keeper with a number of efforts and hitting the bar from close range late on.

That followed a powerful equaliser on 68 minutes, fired home from a cross put over by Chris Sedgwick – a 33-year-old winger recently released by Scunthorpe, who Blackwell later signed.

Centre-back Richard Hinds, aged 32, who was an unused substitute for Yeovil in their League One play-off final victory last season, did his chances of earning a deal at Gigg Lane a power of good, netting Bury’s winner with a crisp finish 20 minutes from time, adding to a commanding performance at the back.

Blackwell was also given plenty to think about by second-half performances from 21-year-old former Accrington winger Aiden Chippendale, who looked sharp on the left, as well as versatile French midfielder Jeremy Byame and playmaker John Rooney – Wayne’s younger brother – who was yesterday rewarded with a 12-month deal.

“I thought their energy and enthusiasm stood out,” he said. “They were on trial and they knew they were on trial.

“I thought young Rooney did quite well. Jeremy, the young lad from France, was brilliant on the ball, but he’s got to learn when to release it a little bit earlier.

“Young Chippendale came on and gave us energy, and Shaun Harrad looked very, very hungry.”

Blackwell's ire at an otherwise sluggish first-half display should be countered by enthusiastic showings from winger Craig Jones and new forward Ashley Grimes, while makeshift right-back Shane Byrne looked back to full fitness after spending last season out with glandular fever.

RADCLIFFE BOROUGH: James Coates (Kieran O’Boyle 45); Calldon Henson (Josh Bardsley 45), Alex Mortimer (Kristof Repoz 45), James Mullineux , Sam Grimshaw; Danny White (Liam Gallagher 45), Chris Thompson (Oliver Devaney 45), Darren Thornton (Tom Ingram 45); Kevin Sanasy (Simon Aggarwal 45), Bradley Robinson (Ash Young 45), Mike Case (Nick Booth 45).

BURY: Trevor Carson (Rob Lainton 45); Shane Byrne (Aiden Chippendale 62), Adam Lockwood, Nathan Cameron (Richard Hinds 45), Gareth Roberts (Ben Potter 45); Craig Jones (Chris Sedgwick 45), Euan Holden (John Rooney 45), Sam Sheridan (Greg McDermott 45), Tom Soares (Jeremy Byame 45); Ashley Grimes (Carl Finnigan 45), Andy Bishop (Shaun Harrad 45).

Attendance: 904.