Ten-man Accrington Stanley kept Bury at bay to grind out a goalless draw at the Store First Stadium.

Laurence Wilson saw red in the first half but a superb defensive performance ensured that the Reds held on for a precious point.

There was one change to the starting line-up from the defeat to Scunthorpe on Friday night as Danny Webber replaced George Bowerman up front with the former Walsall man dropping to the bench.

Although Bury had the better of the opening exchanges, it was Stanley who would threaten first as Kayode Odejayi’s neat flick sent Lee Molyneux scampering away towards goal but the winger’s effort from 18 yards was straight at Brian Jensen, who parried the ball to safety.

The visitors were a threat with their pace on the counter-attack and Marcus Bettinelli had to be at his best to deny Anton Forrester with his legs as the Blackburn loanee found space in the area.

His strike partner Danny Nardiello should have done better with a free-header from a corner but he put the ball into the 1000-strong visiting contingent.

Stanley’s chances of winning the game took a blow when Wilson was sent off just after the half-hour mark.

The left back lunged in on Craig Jones after the Bury skipper touched the ball beyond Peter Murphy.

Referee Kevin Wright eventually produced the red card after fighting his way through a raft of Bury players.

David Flitcroft’s side went in search of the opening goal to make their one-man advantage count and created a number of opportunities in the dying embers of the first half.

Forrester rose highest and beat Bettinelli to a Jones cross but his header somehow missed the target before Nicky Hunt cleared off the line from Andrew Tutte.

Both sides made changes at half time with Michael Liddle coming on to slot in at left back with Odejayi the man sacrificed. Bury replaced Jean Louis Akpa Akpro with Chris Sedgwick as they changed formation at the start of the second half.

It seemed like it was going to take something special to break the deadlock and Molyneux almost obliged, unleashing a powerful effort from 25 yards that almost decapitated Pablo Mills but the defender’s block was sufficient to send the effort spinning wide of the target.

Forrester had two efforts, curling wide of the post at the first attempt but put his second out for a throw-in after selfishly choosing to go for goal rather than finding a team-mate.

Jones had been a constant threat for the Shakers and went close when he got on the end of a Forrester flick to hammer a fierce effort towards goal but he found Bettinelli in fine form as the shot-stopper made a strong save.

Webber, who had played as a lone striker in the second half, was replaced by James Gray with just over ten minutes remaining as James Beattie looked to put some energy and fresh legs into his side.

Desperate not to lose the point Stanley had, the manager also put centre back Rob Atkinson on for Lee Molyneux in an attempt to shore up the defence.

The visitors were bombarding the home penalty area and only Murphy’s inch-perfect tackle denied Bury substitute Clive Platt a strike at goal as the clock ticked into four minutes of injury time.

The Shakers thought they had won the game in the final minute as Nardiello’s shot looked to be heading into the bottom corner, but somehow Bettinelli managed to get down and turn it away for the defence to scramble clear as the defence held firm.

Stanley: Bettinelli; Hunt, Aldred, Winnard, Wilson; Mingoia, Joyce, Murphy, Molyneux (Atkinson 88); Webber (Gray 79), Odejayi (Liddle 45).

Subs not used: McCartan, Hatfield, Windass, Bowerman.