DAVID Flitcroft may not have had a large pool of players to choose from for Tuesday night’s 1-1 draw at home to Championship side Blackburn, but what he saw from those who made it on to the pitch gave the Bury manager plenty of cause for optimism.

The queue for the treatment table was almost as long as the team sheet, with only 15 out of the Shakers’ senior squad of 21 players available for selection.

But despite the absence of defender Keil O’Brien, midfielders Danny Mayor, Jacob Mellis and Andrew Tutte, and strikers Ryan Lowe and Danny Nardiello, Bury were unlucky not to register a second win of pre-season.

Tom Pope stabbed home his first goal in a Shakers shirt in the 26th minute, seizing on a flick-on from a Chris Hussey free-kick.

Pope’s striker partner, fellow summer signing Leon Clarke, should have doubled Bury’s advantage before the break, putting a weak shot too close to Rovers keeper David Raya.

And Clarke had a close-range effort ruled out by the referee’s assistant at the start of the second half after Raya was adjudged to have stopped the ball on the line.

Blackburn midfielder Craig Conway made them pay for the missed chances, firing a 25-yard strike into the bottom corner in the 65th minute.

It was rough justice on Bury’s new 19-year-old keeper Christian Walton, who deserved a clean sheet after pulling off great saves to deny Ben Marshall and Nathan Delfouneso in the first half.

The Shakers’ well-drilled, disciplined performance probably warranted a Championship scalp – Flitcroft certainly thought so.

“From a physical point of view it was fantastic,” he said.

“We came up against a top quality Blackburn side who moved the ball well and moved the ball quick. So we had to be disciplined.

“We didn’t have lion’s share of possession but it didn’t matter. We stayed disciplined and rigid in our formation to limit them to just one chance in the second half.

“The discipline of the team was something I was pleased with.

“The fitness levels were where I wanted them to be so, overall, the performance was good, I was just disappointed not to win it.”

Bury go into Saturday’s final friendly at home to Preston unbeaten in their pre-season campaign following four matches in a hectic week.

Leon Clarke scored in a 1-0 win at Macclesfield last Wednesday, before the Shakers registered successive draws at Morecambe (1-1) last Friday and Radcliffe Borough (2-2) on Saturday.

Flitcroft added: “I would want us to be a touch better on Saturday with the ball – move the ball a touch quicker.

“But from the work we have done and the games we have played I have been really happy with certain aspects of our play.

“Certainly, out of possession I have been really happy.

"Leading up to the Preston game what I am after is a real high-energy performance again and I am sure I will get that.”

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