A LATE equaliser denied Bury all three points as they drew 1-1 at League One leaders Burton Albion.

Ryan Lowe gave the Shakers the lead with his first touch of the game after coming off the substitutes bench minutes after Hamza Choudhury was sent off for a second yellow card.

But two minutes into added time Tyler Walker swept the ball home for the hosts.

Manager David Flitcroft experimented with a 4-2-3-1 formation, which gave freedom to the attacking trio of John O'Sullivan, Craig Jones and Danny Mayor behind target man Tom Pope.

And it was former Port Vale striker Pope, back from an operation on his broken wrist, that spearheaded Bury's first attack, which saw his header kept out by a sprawling Jon McLaughlin early on.

The lively Lucas Akins proved a constant threat down the right channel for the hosts and curled an effort over the crossbar after cutting inside, before the winger gave Bury keeper Chris Neal his first test of the afternoon with a powerful low drive which the stopper palmed to safety.

In the 25th minute Bury's injury crisis continued as Joe Riley withdrew from action and was replaced by Dan Gardner.

Pope headed Hussey's corner narrowly over the crossbar moments later before Mayor smashed an effort straight down the throat of the goalkeeper.

Mayor lofted a cross into the box at the end of the first period but Pope could only lift his header over the crossbar.

Nathan Delfouneso was introduced at half time as Tom Soares picked up a knock, and the on-loan Blackburn forward spurned a glorious chance to give his side the lead straight after the restart.

Gardner crossed for the 25-year-old forward but he shot straight at the goalkeeper from six yards out.

Delfouneso raced through on goal moments later and with the whole of the Pirelli Stadium to himself he failed to end his eight-month goal drought by dragging his shot wide.

Hamza Choudhury picked up his second yellow card inside 11 minutes in the 70th minute for a late tackle.

And four minutes later, substitute Lowe came off the bench to head home Gardner's inch-perfect cross to send the Bury fans behind the goal into pandemonium.

At the third time of asking Delfouneso did find the back of the net after Mayor's shot was saved and the forward tapped in the rebound, only to be denied by the offside flag.

Bury controlled the late exchanges and would have extended their lead had it not been for a terrific save from McLaughlin to deny Lowe his 200th career goal.

But the Brewers underlined their title credentials two minutes into added time when Walker swept home Akins' cross to earn a share of the points.