Bury 2 Shrewsbury 2 - Report and pictures

Sullay Kaikai twice put Town ahead on 16 and 33 minutes only for Tom Soares to head Bury level, then Peter Clarke to rescue the Shakers a deserved point.

Mellon, who was 44 yesterday, will have to wait for his 50th win in charge but it looked like coming in a dominant first half only for Bury to hit back strongly after the break.

The point made it seven unbeaten away, and one defeat in 12 on their travels while Kaikai's first senior brace made it four in three games and nine for the season - one off his target with nine matches left.

Town made three changes from the 2-2 draw with Scunthorpe last week.

Left-back Junior Brown, central midfielder Richie Wellens and striker Andy Mangan replaced Mat Sadler, Jordan Clark and Larnell Cole, who all dropped to the bench.

Brown missed last week's game with a nerve problem in his leg.

Wellens was making his first start since the 2-1 defeat to Southend on February 2, while Mangan was recalled after being rested for the two previous outings.

Former Town men Chris Neal - the goalkeeper who signed yesterday on loan from Port Vale - and Ryan Lowe were in the Bury line-up, while Mangan was facing one of his old clubs.

Bury (4-4-2): Neal; Riley (Pugh 71), Bolger, P Clarke, Hussey; Jones (O'Sullivan HT), Tutte, Soares, Mayor; Lowe (Rose 75), Delfouneso.

Subs not used: Burgess, Gardner, Brown, Ruddy (gk).

Shrewsbury Town (4-4-2): Town: Halstead; Grimmer, Smith, Knight-Percival, Brown; Whalley, Wellens, Ogogo, Kaikai (Clark 84); Vassell, Mangan (Akpa Akpro 70).

Subs not used: Sadler, Vernon, Cole, Grandin, Burton (gk).

Referee: Mark Haywood.

Bury handed a debut to ex-Aston Villa striker Nathan Delfouneso, who has signed on a month's loan from Blackburn.

Former Wolves frontman Leon Clarke, Bury's 17-goal top scorer, was out injured after missing last week's 3-0 derby defeat at Rochdale to get married.

Salop went in deservedly ahead at the break after dominating and playing some fine football.

A dangerous free kick swung in by Shaun Whalley caused problems for Bury, but it was missed by the heads of Dominic Smith and Nat Knight-Percival at the far post.

Town had the ball in the net in the seventh minute when Mangan fired home at the near post but was flagged offside when Whalley's corner was cleared.

The first legitimate shot of the game came in the 13th minute when Wellens' drive was headed away by Clarke.

And when Mellon's side took the lead soon afterwards there was little surprise.

Kaikai's superb effort, coming after he cut inside from the left and curled the ball into the opposite corner from Kyle Vassell's pass, was his third in as many games.

Town briefly had some defending to do just before the midpoint of the half when Jack Grimmer did enough to put off Danny Mayor, who headed wide from Delfouneso's cross.

But Shrewsbury returned to the attack within a minute and Mangan beat the ground in frustration after his cross sliced out of play from Whalley's reverse pass.

Town threatened again on 29 when Whalley's inswinging corner was headed away as far as Wellens, whose left-foot volley was comfortable for Neal.

Seconds later and, at the other end, Bury produced their first effort, but Craig Jones' effort was weak and well wide.

But the Shakers levelled with their first serious effort, in virtually their initial attack.

Soares beat Abu Ogogo in the air at the near post to flash a fierce header past goalkeeper Mark Halstead and into the roof of the net from Chris Hussey's corner.

Afterwards, Soares ran around Ogogo and appeared to say something to him.

But Town soon got their own back as they restored their lead within three minutes - and it was that man Kaikai again.

This time, Kaikai showed superb awareness to wait to turn inside from his right foot onto his left to give himself the space to curl home after his superb diagonal run was spotted by Whalley.

A free kick 35 yards out gave Kaikai the chance of his hat-trick on 39 but his fierce curler drifted a foot over the bar.

Town looked the better side and almost made it 3-1 in the third of the three minutes of time added on.

A superb run by Vassell spotted and found by Wellens' searching pass down the side. Vassell held off a defender only for his shot to be blocked by Neal.

Unsurprisingly, Bury made a change at half-time, with right winger Craig Jones replaced by John O'Sullivan in a straight swap.

The restart signalled a period of fierce pressure from the hosts as they looked to get back into the game.

Within two minutes of the restart, Wellens had to get back to make a vital clearance just as Lowe shaped to shoot from Delfouneso's lay-off.

Town tried to hit Bury on the break and Vassell caught them undermanned and squared to Whalley, but his cross-shot was mis-hit and trickled to Neal.

Vassell then got a yard of space at the far post but his low angled shot was gobbled up by Neal.

Sullivan became the first player to be booked after catching Brown as he darted forwards to cut out a pass on 52.

Town were indebted to Halstead on 55 for a superb save, flinging himself to his left to tip unmarked Danny Mayor's curler away for a corner from Delfouneso's pull back.

Bury were having their best spell and Hussey's corner was headed away for another by Jack Grimmer from two yards out under pressure from Delfouneso.

Town had to be content with isolated attacks on the break but when they got forward, they were untidy.

On 58, Vassell opted to go for goal 25 yards out rather than find Whalley to his right and produced a scuffed effort straight at Neal.

The equaliser Bury had been threatening came on 66 when Clarke drilled home through a crowd of players, after Town failed to clear a corner won when Halstead denied a clean-through Sullivan.

Town were really up against it and Ogogo blocked Soares's drive on the line on 69 with Halstead beaten, after Hussey's cross looped up.

Town made a switch a minute later when Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro replaced Mangan.

There was a vital clearance by Cian Bolger at the far post to hack away Akpa Akpro's cross away from Whalley.

It became end to end again and Kaikai got through Cian Bolger's tackle but blazed well over from 20 yards.

Knight-Percival was booked in the 83rd minute after body-checking Danny Rose 20 yards out with Junior Brown out of position after tripping Sullivan.

From the set-piece, Halstead produced another fine save, springing to his left to tip away Hussey's curling free kick.

Bolger was next to be booked, on 86 for bringing down Vassell just over 30 yards out. Brown took the free kick and curled it inches over the bar.

But Town had to continue their fierce rearguard action and on 89, Hussey's thunderbolt of a low drive fizzed inches wide from 30 yards after a poor clearance from Akpa Akpro.

Bury still looked like the more likely scorers and in the fourth minute of time added on, substitute Danny Pugh's drive just cleared the bar as Town were slow to close him down when it was fed back from the left.