AS long as Bury are making progress then manager David Flitcroft is willing to tolerate the odd dropped point along the way.

But despite watching his side extend their unbeaten run in League One to 10 matches, the Shakers boss admitted a tinge of disappointment after Saturday’s goalless draw against neighbours Rochdale.

A season’s best attendance just short of 6,500 packed out Gigg Lane for the eagerly anticipated derby and the Bury boss wanted to send fans home not just with a victory to brag about but also having been fully entertained.

Visiting goalkeeper Josh Lillis had not read the script, though, as he thwarted Shakers striker Leon Clarke with a couple of stunning saves, ensuring Bury failed to score for the first time in a league game this season.

Flitcroft was also frustrated by the performance of referee Andy Woolmer, who he felt interrupted the flow of the game with too many stoppages for minor fouls.

“It could have been more exciting as a football spectacle,” he said.

“Managed right or differently (by the referee) it could have been a better spectacle, for me anyway.

“There were a few chances, but fans want to come and see a flow to a game.

“We have tried to win the game for sure, but it has just got broken up too much for the fans to see a spectacle, so it is tinged with disappointment.”

Woolmer did let a few tackles ride, though, and managed to keep the card count down to just six yellows – two for Bury – ensuring both sides finished the game with 11 men on the pitch.

Whether or not his approach took the sting out of the first encounter between these two rivals since March 2014 is hard to say, but despite the lack of goals there was no shortage of excitement.

The game was in the balance right up until the final whistle, which was largely down to the display of Lillis as Bury tipped the balance in terms of scoring chances.

The fact they were not able to convert those into three points, drawing their second straight match at home after letting Wigan off the hook the previous weekend, was a lesson Flitcroft believes his players need to learn.

While the Shakers have lost just one of their opening 13 matches in the league since gaining promotion last season, they have been held six times.

“We spoke to them (the players) after the game and said how do we now turn that point into three? That’s the most important part of our learning curve in League One,” said Flitcroft.

“After the last two games (at home), against Wigan and now today, it is about how we progress and turn one point into three.

“We all want that, we are all fighting for that. The players are really fighting and it really is the next part of the progression that we are consistently getting three points.”

Bury captain Nathan Cameron had their first effort at goal in the second minute, looping a header over after getting on the end of cross from stand-in left-back Danny Pugh.

Danny Mayor, returning after missing the last game through illness, helped set up that attack and was at the heart of the Shakers’ best moves in the opening stages.

He forced Dale centre-back Jim McNulty, who started last season as Bury captain, into a telling intervention after bursting past defender Andrew Cannon before aiming a low cross towards Leon Clarke.

Rochdale’s extra man in midfield helped give them a foothold in the first half, though, and they wasted a couple of decent opportunities to break the deadlock, the best of which fell to midfielder Peter Vincenti.

His late run into the box was picked out by Lewis Alessandra but Vincenti was unable to shift his feet and mis-kicked straight at Bury keeper Rob Lainton from six yards.

Lightning fast winger Nathaniel Mendez-Laing should also have done better on 18 minutes when he burst into the Bury half at the head of a counter attack but failed to find Dale captain Jamie Allen with an over-hit pass.

Leon Clarke’s first sight of goal came on 44 minutes when a low cross from Joe Riley caused havoc in the Rochdale defence.

Clarke turned it goalwards but Lillis spread himself to stop the ball on the line, setting up a spot of pinball in the penalty box as Tom Soares and then Clarke both followed up with further shots that the Dale keeper and his defence combined to block.

Soares also had a shot blocked by Dale defender Olly Lancashire after the break following great wing play by Mayor on the left.

In a frantic finale, Vincenti had a header well-saved by Lainton before Mayor produced the cross of the match, standing up the ball invitingly for Leon Clarke at the back post, but the striker's point-blank header was somehow turned over by Lillis.

Results elsewhere, however, ensured Bury remained in fourth place in the table, just three points behind new leaders Gillingham with a trip to mid-table Bradford to come tomorrow.

BURY (4-4-2): Lainton 8; Riley 8, P Clarke 8, Cameron 8, Pugh 8; Jones 6 (Mellis 6 66), Brown 7, Soares 7, Mayor 8; L Clarke 7, Pope 6 (Erwin 6 74).

Not used: Ruddy, Sedgwick, Burgess, Dudley, Rose.

ROCHDALE (4-2-3-1): Lillis; Cannon, McNulty, Lancashire, Tanser; Rafferty (Andrew 39), Lund; Vincenti, Allen, Mendez-Laing (Henderson 58); Alessandra (McDermott 77).

Not used: Eastham, Camps, Kennedy, Pereira.

Yellow cards: Bury – Pugh 32, Brown 61. Rochdale – Lund 67, Cannon 71, Allen 87, Vincenti 90+1.

Referee: Andy Woolmer.

Attendance: 6,470 (1,572 visiting).

Star man: Danny Mayor – Bury’s mercurial midfielder showed no signs of the virus that had forced him out of the previous weekend’s draw with Wigan. He looked to have boundless energy in the opening 45 minutes as he danced around spellbound Rochdale full-back Andrew Cannon. And while Mayor’s masterful approach play was let down by his final pass at times, he produced a sumptuous cross to put the ball on the head of Leon Clarke at the death. The quality of the cross deserved to produce a winner.