TOM Pope opened his account for Bury in a lively 1-1 draw at home to Blackburn Rovers.

The 29-year-old summer signing showed the predatory instinct that helped him net 69 goals in four seasons at Port Vale after slotting home a Chris Hussey free-kick at the back post in the first half.

Craig Conway equalised for the visitors with a 25-yard strike after the break.

But Bury boss David Flitcroft will have been satisfied with the night’s work after nine of his starting XI got 90 minutes under their belts and there were no new injuries.

The Shakers manager, who went into the game with six first-team players on the treatment table, started with his strongest available side and only four substitutes on the bench.

But his side did not seem to miss the likes of star man Danny Mayor and new recruit Jacob Mellis.

They started with three strikers on the pitch, Hallam Hope continuing in the wide role on the left he played in last week’s friendlies at Macclesfield and Morecambe.

Hope created the first chance for the home side, getting in behind the Blackburn defence before floating in a cross from the corner of the box that just evaded strike pairing Pope and Leon Clarke.

New Bury keeper Christian Walton turned a low shot from Ben Marshall around his near post while Craig Jones did well to get a half block on a Lee Williamson shot that looped up on to the top of the bar.

But the Shakers looked comfortable enough and took the lead through Pope in the 26th minute.

The visitors should have levelled just three minutes later when the ball sat up invitingly for Nathan Delefouneso in the penalty area but Walton produced a superb point-blank save to deny him.

As Blackburn pressed Clarke looked ready to double Bury’s advantage when he robbed last defender Shane Duffy of the ball on the edge of his penalty area but then rolled a weak shot too close to Rovers keeper David Raya.

The ex-Wolves front man, who scored in Bury’s 1-0 friendly win at Macclesfield, was convinced he had doubled his tally on 51 minutes when he stabbed home a Hussey corner at the back post, but the referee’s assistant ruled Raya had blocked it on the line.

Rovers fired a warning shot as Hussey was forced to make a lung-busting run to track back and make a last-ditch block to deny Delfouneso.

But the visitors were back on level terms soon after as Conway blasted a precise shot into the bottom corner from 25 yards on 65 minutes and it ended honours even.

BURY: Walton; Riley, Cameron, Peter Clarke, Hussey; Jones (Sedgwick 70), Pugh, Soares, Hope; Pope (Rose 66), Leon Clarke.

Unused subs: Burgess, Lainton.

BLACKBURN: Raya; Henley, Spurr, Lowe (Guthrie 46), Hanley, Duffy, O'Sullivan (Tomlinson 46), Delfouneso (Forrester 78), Marshall, Conway, Williamson.

Unused subs: Mahoney, Nyambe, Steele, Kilgallon.

Referee: Darren Handley

Attendance: 1,696