BURY failed to maintain their high-scoring form of late but showed the strength and stamina to match their Championship opponents in this committed pre-season encounter.

After banging in 22 goals in two games on their recent tour of Cornwall, this was much more of a test of the League Two outfit’s fitness and mental approach.

And while they spent large swathes of the game without the ball, Bury deserved their late equaliser as John Rooney slotted home two minutes from time to cancel out Kirk Broadfoot’s headed opener.

Bury started the brighter as in-form Shaun Harrad looked to make it four goals in four pre-season outings with a speculative volley on the turn that sailed just wide.

But Blackpool’s Championship quality slowly came to the fore as they controlled the game after the opening 20 minutes.

The Tangerines’ interchangeable front three of Robert Grant, Nathan Eccleston and James Caton kept the Bury back-four on their toes with their movement.

Grant was the first to find his shooting boots on the half-hour mark, curling a shot high and wide.

He then forced his way into the box two minutes later but the striker’s close-range shot at the far post was well blocked by Shakers centre-back Richard Hinds.

After showing great determination without the ball, Bury’s rearguard action should have been unlocked on 34 minutes.

Keeper Trevor Carson did well to palm away a stinging shot from Caton but the bouncing ball fell on a plate to Eccleston, who inexplicably headed wide with the goal at his mercy.

Bury again started the second half brighter, with Craig Jones threading a great ball through to find the run of Anton Forrester but the young Blackburn loan signing just failed to find striker partner Harrad at the back post.

All Bury’s hard work was undone in the 54th minute, however, as Broadfoot lost his marker to power home a bullet header from a Blackpool corner, past the dive of sub keeper Rob Lainton. But while a raft of substitutions interrupted the flow of the remainder of the match, the introduction of Rooney’s younger brother did the trick as he popped up in the box to slot home from close range.

BURY: Carson (Lainton 45); Marrs, Hinds, Cameron, Roberts; Jones (Chippendale 67), Randall, Procter (Holden 58), Soares (Rooney 73); Harrad (Sedgwick 73) Forrester (Grimes 58).

BLACKPOOL: Gilks (Halstead 76); Basham (Bishop 55), Broadfoot, McKenzie, Harris (Anderson 67); Ferguson, Martinez (Cathcart 55), Osbourne (Keegan 67); Grant (Tomsett 67), Eccleston (trialist 55), Caton (Caprice 67).

Referee: Graham Salisbury Attendance: 1,208 (visiting 237)