DAVID Flitcroft praised his players’ character if not their quality after they came from behind to earn a point at home to Oldham.

A 65th-minute equaliser from Tom Pope cancelled out Lee Croft’s first-half opener, but the Shakers were unable to convert the comeback into a first win of the League One campaign.

“I don’t think it was a game of high quality. We fully deserved to get a point from the game, but there wasn’t enough quality on show really,” said the Bury boss, whose side have drawn four of their opening five league matches this season.

“If we do want to win games we have got to represent that quality of work that we are trying to put into training and matches.

“It was an intense game. The fans have turned out for it and it’s great to get an atmosphere in this stadium.

“There was a lot of gusto, a lot of hard graft and work but needed that last little bit of end quality to open it up.”

On-loan keeper Christian Walton was missing with a groin injury and his replacement, Rob Lainton, got down bravely at the feet of Oldham striker Jonathan Forte in the ninth minute to cut out a David Dunn through ball.

Full-back Chris Hussey had Bury’s best effort in the opening half – clipping the wall with his 14th-minute free kick which looked to be heading for the top corner before veering narrowly wide.

The game had a real derby feel though, with chances few and far between for either side as the tackles flew in in the opening exchanges.

A boisterous following of 2,000 Oldham fans, in a crowd of 5,400, added to the fiery atmosphere.

Yet Tom Soares was the only player to pick up a booking, the Bury midfielder rightly carded for a rash sliding challenge on Joe Mills in the 15th minute.

That could explain why Mills was given the time and space on the Oldham left to cross for their 24th-minute opener.

The full-back's centre landed at the feet of Croft on the right of the six-yard box and Hussey deflected his volley past the dive of Lainton.

Trouble flared in the away end soon after Oldham’s opener, with police reinforcements needed to calm down the travelling support after a Latics fan was ejected by stewards.

The issue was brought under control pretty quickly though and drew attention away from the scrappy contest.

Bury started the second half much brighter, and Danny Rose was unlucky to see his shot from a Joe Riley cross deflected the wrong side of the near post.

The introduction of Craig Jones for Danny Pugh gave the home side extra impetus, but Oldham remained a threat on the counter.

Lainton was twice rescued by his own defence after fumbles. The keeper dropped a high ball into the box, luckily at the feet of Tutte, and could not hold on to a low cross from Croft, with Cameron clearing.

And while Soares blasted a crisp shot inches wide and Danny Mayor was unlucky to see an attempt blocked in the box, the Shakers should have fallen further behind before they drew level.

Mike Jones side-footed a Timothee Dieng centre over from 12 yards when unmarked.

Then, on 64 minutes, centre-back James Wilson failed to hit the target with only Lainton to beat after being put in by Forte.

Bury made the visitors pay as Pope stabbed a Rose cross in off the post from close range.

The equaliser set up a tense finish as both sides went for the win.

Soares fired an angled drive close from 25 yards but Oldham substitute Simonas Stankevicius had the best chance to win it seven minutes from time.

Lainton was on hand, however, to deny the Lithuanian striker from six yards after he had been found by Croft following some fancy footwork in the box, which drew the Bury defenders.

A second defeat of the season would have been harsh on Bury, though, as they fell one place to 17th in the table.

It was the seventh of eight matches in all competitions for the Shakers in the opening month of the season, and with back-to-back away matches at League One’s top two - Walsall and Sheffield United - to come, Flitcroft was happy to come away with a point.

“It’s a tough opening month after you have just come off a pre-season training programme,” he said.

“Physically and mentally you have to dig in.

“The resolve they showed second half pleased me.

“From being in a negative situation we have turned it into a positive by grabbing a goal and rescuing a point.

“So I’m delighted with the character shown by the lads and it’s another game we have not got beat.”

BURY (4-4-2): Lainton 7; Riley 7, Cameron 8, P Clarke 7, Hussey 7; Soares 8, Tutte 7 (Mellis 88), Pugh 6 (Jones 7 51), Mayor 7; Pope 7, Rose 7 (Lowe 6 74).

Not used: Hope, Sedgwick, Ruddy, Foulds.

OLDHAM (4-4-1-1): Coleman; Brown, Wilson, Burn (Yeates 70), Mills; Croft, Dieng, Philliskirk, Jones; Dunn (Turner 84); Forte (Stankevicius 74). Not used: Cornell, Poleon, Green, Edmundson.

Scorers: Bury – Pope 65. Oldham – Croft 24.

Yellow cards: Bury – Soares 15.

Referee: Roger East.

Attendance: 5,448 (1,988 visiting).

Star man: Nathan Cameron – The Bury captain carried on where he left off against Leicester City with another commanding performance at the back. Thankfully, this time he was not on the losing side as some stoic defending kept Oldham at bay. Jonathan Forte is a handful up front for the Latics but, barring one run in the opening stages when he got in behind the Shakers’ defence and a second after the break when he seized on an Andrew Tutte mistake, Cameron had the big striker in his pocket. Time and time again he swept up potentially dangerous situations through a combination of power, strength and good positioning.