BURY may be down but they proved in holding promotion-chasing Shrewsbury to a draw they will not go without a fight.

Jay O’Shea’s goal saw the Shakers battle to a well-deserved point with a performance that finally displayed the effectiveness they have been lacking virtually throughout the season.

Already relegated from League One, Bury grew in confidence throughout as they shook the Shrews – despite falling behind to Abo Eisa’s brilliant solo effort early in the game.

And, although they failed to end their 10-game winless run, caretaker manager Ryan Lowe took pride in his team’s display.

“To come to Shrewsbury, who are having a great season, and take a point off them, as well as three earlier in the season, is a big plus for us,” he said.

It continued the resilient momentum they showed four days earlier when they held Doncaster Rovers to a draw in another away performance which showed they can be a match for anyone on their day.

That 3-3 draw took them to Shrewsbury in decent heart, and Lowe was pleased with the character his players showed again.

“We could possibly have gone on and won it,” he said of Saturday’s game.

“I’m happy with the point as always but I also think we dominated large parts of the game so I am really pleased.

“You have to give us a lot of credit because the of the way we moved the ball and played throughout the game.”

Bury started brightly with George Miller forcing a fifth-minute save out of Dean Henderson after winning the ball on the edge of the Shrewsbury penalty area.

But it was Shrewsbury who drew first blood when they took the lead on 13 minutes.

Max Lowe released Eisa down the left, and he carried the ball from inside his own half, shrugging off Ryan Cooney’s challenge along the way, before unleashing a 25-yard strike which flew beyond the dive of Joe Murphy in the Bury goal.

Miller dragged a 28th-minute shot wide as the Shakers tried to fashion an equaliser before Murphy beat away a venomous Bryn Morris strike when Shrewsbury went looking for a second.

O’Shea saw his effort easily gathered by Henderson shortly before the break, and Miller failed to get a telling touch on Cooney’s free kick when well placed to score seven minutes into the second-half.

Bury began to get on top just after the hour, and their efforts paid dividends when O’Shea’s luck changed in the 66th minute.

Making a sharp incision into the Shrewsbury penalty area, O’Shea lashed a shot into the net to punish sleeping Shrewsbury and put the Shakers back on level terms.

Nathan Thomas went close to restoring the home side’s lead when his 83rd-minute volley flashed past Murphy’s right-hand post.

But neither side could snatch a winner as Bury curtailed some late Shrewsbury pressure – with some solid individual performances giving travelling Shakers fans plenty of reason for optimism as they headed home still contemplating life in League Two.

“We lacked the bit of quality that has been missing from us so many times this season,” Lowe added.

“We played our way back into the game and scored a great equaliser.

“The goal gave us a big lift and I can’t fault the lads because they’ve put in an enormous effort.

“The Bury fans could see we were giving ourselves a great chance.

“I know they’d prefer to see us play more attacking football but we grew in confidence and George Miller also had a couple of chances earlier in the game.”

Bury: (4-5-1)

JOE MURPHY 7

PHIL EDWARDS 5

ADAM THOMPSON 6

SAUL SHOTTON 6

RYAN COONEY 6

HARRY BUNN 6

CALLUM STYLES 6

NEIL DANNS 7

JAY O’SHEA 8

ZELI ISMAIL 7

GEORGE MILLER 6

Subs: Hanson 6 (for Bunn 68), Clarke 6 (for Cooney 77), Ince (for Miller 87).

Not used: Ripley, Tutte, Dai, Adams.

Shrewsbury (5-4-1): Henderson, Lowe, Beckles, Sadler (John-Lewis 85), Nsiala, Bolton, Eisa (Gnahoua 77), Godfrey, B Morris, Rodman (Thomas 68), C Morris.

Subs not used: MacGillivray, Riley, Hendrie, Jones.

Referee: Eddie Ilderton.