20-07-10: Bury (a) 0-4 (HT 0-1) Crowd (2,769)

There was a visit to Gigg Lane as Bury were United's hosts in their first local friendly of the season. Billy Paynter, Richard Naylor, Jason Crowe, Lloyd Sam and Alan Martin were all unavailable from injuries as United started the game with: Kasper Schmeichel; Andy Hughes, Leigh Bromby, Neill Collins, Fede Bessone; Robert Snodgrass, Neil Kilkenny, Jonathan Howson, Bradley Johnson; Luciano Becchio and Mike Grella. Torrential rain had fallen for most of the day as United changed summer for the gloom of Lancashire but it was almost like a home game with almost two-thirds of the crowd having made the trip over the Pennines. Andy Penn of Birmingham was the referee as the game kicked off with the Leeds support of 1,739 in a crowd of 2,769. United opened strongly with Jonathan Howson firing in from distance after good work by Mike Grella. The American thought he had scored after nine minutes, but after netting he was called back for an infringement. Bradley Johnson forced Cameron Belford, the Bury keeper, to save at the second attempt. The Leeds midfielder was not having any luck and after fifteen minutes he rattled the bar with a header from a Robert Snodgrass cross, before good defending from Phil Picken again denied him, while Neill Collins headed the ensuing corner over the bar. Luciano Becchio only just failed to connect with a Fede Bessone cross as they piled on the pressure. Bury should have done better in the thirty-fifth minute, after Steven Schumacher made the initial break which allowed David Worrall to play in Ryan Lowe, who shot wide. However, he made no mistake a few minutes later, when a cross from the right found him in space to shoot firmly into the top corner to give Bury the lead. It should have been 2-0 minutes later when Andy Haworth beat the offside trap, but Steven Schumacher missed with the goal at his mercy. With four minutes of the half left Jonathan Howson shot over with the last worthwhile effort of the half, which saw the rain return during the interval and the second half kicked off in a torrential downpour. Andy Haworth should have increased Bury's lead but his finishing was amiss. It was not all one-way traffic as Cameron Belford had to punch clear a free kick and the impressive Robert Snodgrass went close after fifty-three minutes and was soon the subject of a bad challenge from behind which had players of both sides involved in the ensuing fracas. The home side continued to press and Kasper Schmeichel was called upon to save from Ryan Lowe. After fifty-nine minutes Manager Grayson rang the changes, introducing Paul Connolly for Andy Hughes at right-back and Max Gradel for Luciano Becchio up front. It was a Bury substitute, Andy Bishop, who made the impact as he picked up a deflected ball to race through the middle to score and put the home side 2-0 in front. Cameron Belford only just managed to palm away a curling Robert Snodgrass free-kick and United made more changes after sixty-seven minutes with Tom Lees replacing Leigh Bromby in central defence and Aidan White coming on for Fede Bessone at left-back. A minute later, United had to thank an offside flag as David Worrall curled the ball past Kasper Schmeichel, before they brought on Davide Somma for Mike Grella. It had the desired effect as Davide Somma forced Cameron Belford into a fine save to keep him off the scoresheet. Tom Lees was also close ten minutes later when he rose to head in a corner but it was palmed away by the Bury keeper. The Bury keeper was well beaten minutes later but Bradley Johnson's fine effort cannoned off the upright. In the eighty-fifth minute the home side went three ahead when Danny Carlton created the space to force home a right wing cross. As the clock wound down Max Gradel almost created a consolation with his trickery, but Davide Somma was wayward with his header from his cross. The ball quickly found its way up the other end and Paul Connolly committed a foul in the penalty box and Andy Bishop stepped up to score from the spot to get his second and Bury's fourth of the night to leave the home team emphatic winners by 4-0. Shane Higgs remained unused on the bench. Bury's substitutes were: Goalkeeper Ritchie Branagan, defenders Andrai Jones and Nolan, midfielders Damien Mozika, Kyle Bennett, Dwayne Samuels and Max Harrop and forwards Danny Carlton, Andy Bishop and Danny Hudson.

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Ticket: Courtesy Mark Ledgard