City 1 Bury 1

AT SOME point Stuart McCall will have a post-match chat which isn't sprinkled with the 'F word'.

Frustrating, frustrated, frustration – take your pick in the Groundhog Day press conferences that have littered December.

City drew the year to a close quite literally with a fourth stalemate on the bounce to leave the League One pack snapping at their heels.

Yes, they have now gone ten months without losing in the league at Valley Parade – a mightily impressive statistic. But three successive draws on their own patch have taken the edge off that achievement.

Matching Charlton, arguably the most impressive away side City have seen, and Scunthorpe could still be viewed as fairly decent results. Not so Saturday against a team who have forgotten what it's like to win.

It might feel like that for Bantams fans at present but the cricket season had only just wrapped up when Bury last celebrated three points against MK Dons. This was only their second point in the three months since after a club record 12 straight losses.

That might put some perspective on the mid-season 'blip' that has slowed City's progress but it only increases the frustration – there's that word again – at not putting such opponents to the sword.

Bury fielded a team with four teenagers, including Callum Styles at just 16, but City's superior experience failed to knock them down.

Meanwhile, last-gasp wins for Sheffield United and Bolton increased the gap to the teams above. For now, it is all about fending off those jostling right behind.

McCall had one eye on this afternoon's trip to Northampton when he made three changes from the Boxing Day draw.

Danny Devine got his first league start since September 3 but most of the pre-match chatter focused on James Meredith's absence at left back.

It was nothing more than precautionary to protect his ankle against a slight niggle – Meredith has spoken recently about the pain he plays with because of his aggressive style of bombing up and down the pitch – but this time of year creates all kinds of rumours.

No, he was not being saved to sign for Leeds, as some were naughtily suggesting. "He plays with high intensity so we've got to be careful," said McCall. "You only have to look at the amount of sprints he makes in the game."

On a typically December pitch, slow and occasionally unpredictable, City shelved the usual inter-play to go longer.

McCall wanted to exploit James Hanson's strength against centre half Jacob Bedeau, another of Bury's raw rookies at 17. But the delivery to the big man was too erratic and came from too deep. Mark Marshall had one of those hair-pulling afternoons.

The one decent cross in a stodgy first half did almost produce a goal. Hanson's downward header was firm and precise but Rob Lainton's plunging save brilliantly denied him. Then came the decisive moment six minutes before the break.

Matt Kilgallon, filling in effectively for the rested Meredith, stood up a ball from the line. Hanson half-connected with a volley but it dropped neatly for Jordy Hiwula six yards out. Again, composure deserted him when he most needed it and Jacob Bedeau was straight across to seal the gap to goal.

Bury broke and Tom Pope, a thorn in City's side in past days with Port Vale, weighed in with another telling Valley Parade contribution. His angled pass sent Scott Burgess scampering clear and the 19-year-old 'veteran' of Bury's teen quartet beat Colin Doyle with the perfect lob.

It was the first goal City had conceded at Valley Parade in 499 minutes – over eight hours of football since Jordan Clark's FA Cup winner for Accrington.

Half-time was a painful experience in the home dressing room as McCall let rip. He demanded a response – and quickly got it.

Nicky Law was pushed up behind the front two, with McCall gambling on leaving City's right flank exposed. Fortunately Greg Leigh did not take the opportunity to exploit his old club.

City were level within seven minutes – and again the goal followed a close call at the other end. Burgess fired straight at Doyle, who boomed his clearance upfield for Hanson to flick on once more. Hiwula, this time, got a good connection to a left-foot blast which Lainton parried as far as the incoming Law to ram home.

That should have been the signal for a comeback win. Bury, after all, are well used to losing. Law brushed the post soon after and City continued to target Hanson's aerial advantage.

Twice he knocked down for Marc McNulty but the substitute snatched at both chances. Then fellow replacement Haris Vuckic got one stuck under his feet as he hurried at another opening.

Bury's box led a charmed life but City lacked the cool head needed to turn the pressure into something concrete – but I'm sure that's been said before.

Strikers, strikers, strikers will be the agenda now the transfer window is open. McCall swerved around the questions, playing down the constant link with Ched Evans: "I would think there would be bigger clubs with bigger resources looking at him."

He also name-checked Alex Jones, the Birmingham youngster with nine goals on loan at Port Vale. You would think he appears a more plausible option. But until reinforcements arrive, McCall needs a bit more care from the present incumbents.

The City boss said: "Everyone's feeling the tension. We've only managed one goal, we're the lowest scorers in the top half and the more we talk about it, the more pressure that piles on the boys up the front and anyone who gets an opportunity.

"But we've got the new year to look forward to. We're still in a position we're pleased to be in and we all believe this season can be successful."

The league record for the whole of 2016 reads well – 85 points from 48 games and only nine defeats. But a dozen draws already this campaign is diluting their progress. There's a word to describe how that feels.

Attendance: 18,012