THEY may have had their relegation rubber-stamped at the weekend, but nobody can accuse Bury of lacking fight after a spirited comeback at Doncaster last night.

The Shakers were 2-0 down and looked completely out of the contest, but a remarkable turnaround saw them score three times in a 22-minute spell either side of half time.

Ultimately, the hosts pegged them back but it was a performance that will at least restore some pride for supporters of Ryan Lowe’s team.

Bury could hardly have entered this game to a worse backdrop.

The freshly-relegated Shakers had lost their last seven league outings, with the most recent defeat against Northampton last weekend confirming their place in League Two next term.

Lowe made three changes from Saturday’s reverse with Harry Bunn, Saul Shotton and Jay O’Shea coming in at the expense of Peter Clarke, Zeli Ismail and James Hanson.

Despite the alterations, it was the same old story as the visitors made the worst start possible and were behind after just two minutes.

Doncaster captain James Coppinger crossed for centre-half Andy Butler to plant a routine header past Joe Murphy.

It could easily have been 2-0 on five minutes when John Marquis’ side-footed effort came back off a post.

Rovers looked a threat at every occasion going forward and it was no surprise when it was 2-0 on 35 minutes when Marquis chipped the ball over the onrushing Murphy.

Out of nowhere, though, Bury were given a lifeline when Callum Styles’ curling free kick was headed into his own net by home defender Niall Mason on 38 minutes.

Suddenly the Shakers were stirred and Harry Bunn tried his luck from an acute angle before Neil Danns flashed a shot into the side netting as the visitors ended the half stronger.

Lowe’s men continued in the same manner after the restart and on 51 minutes their newly-found positivity was rewarded with a penalty.

Phil Edwards burst forward and was tripped in the box by Doncaster’s Matty Blair, with referee Carl Boyeson pointing straight to the spot.

O’Shea stepped up and confidently put the spot-kick past Marosi to restore parity.

And Bury catapulted themselves into the most unlikeliest of leads on the hour. Sub Zeli Ismail darted towards goal and fed it to George Miller, who was left with the simplest of tap-ins from barely a yard out.

But in keeping with this remarkable game, that lead was not to last.

Barely five minutes later Rovers made it 3-3 when Andy Boyle nodded home from a corner.

Rovers came closest to pinching the points late on, but Butler and Rowe were both denied as the spoils were shared in a memorable encounter.

Bury (4-2-3-1): Murphy 6, Shotton 5, Thompson 5, Edwards 6, Cooney 6, Bunn 6, Danns 8 (Ince 81, 5), Styles 7, O’Shea 8 (Tutte 90), Mayor 5 (Ismail 54, 7), Miller 7. Not used: Ripley, Clarke, Dai, Adams.