STEETON were denied a famous victory by two late Bury AFC goals for the second consecutive season, falling to a 4-3 away defeat in the North West Counties League First Division North on Friday night.

Midfielder Josh McKiernon gave the Chevrons a dream start inside five minutes, before Bury battled back, with goals from Kris Holt and Lewis Gilboy seeing them take the lead on the stroke of half-time.

Andy Briggs and Kayle Price restored the visitors’ advantage with 20 minutes remaining, but two goals in 10 minutes from former Bradford (Park Avenue) striker Tom Greaves and substitute Harry Brazel ensured the points remained in Greater Manchester.

Manager Roy Mason made one change from his side’s 2-1 victory against Campion on Monday, with Jake Townsend replacing Jack Lynn in the midfield.

Club captain Jerry White was also back in the matchday squad after serving a three-match ban.

Steeton made a lively start, breaking the deadlock in the fourth minute when Ben Kendall flicked on a corner, with McKiernon reacting quickest to the loose ball to power past Jack Atkinson in the Bury net.

As the Shakers began to respond, both Holt and Kendall were perhaps lucky to have remained on the pitch after crunching tackles inside the Bury half, however, referee Dan Hooton deemed both to be yellow card offences.

The hosts came close through Gilboy and Greaves before scoring an equaliser with 16 minutes on the clock.

Holt latched on to a Matty Williams cross on the edge of the box before firing a left-footed strike past George Bristol.

The young Steeton goalkeeper was in imperious form to twice deny the lively Gilboy, with Tyler Marsh also in the right place to block a Jimmy Moore drive to keep the Chevrons in the game.

But the Bury pressure soon began to tell, with Gilboy giving the Shakers a deserved lead in injury time at the end of the first half.

Weaving through the Steeton defence down the left-wing, the midfielder unleashed a thunderous effort across goal that crashed off the far post into the back of the net.

The Chevrons started the better of the sides after the break and began to find gaps in the Bury defence.

Jake Townsend powered down the left before crossing for Briggs to level the scores in the 52nd minute with a tap-in at the near post.

With 20 minutes left, Briggs turned provider for Steeton’s third, robbing a defender of the ball down the right-wing before squaring to Price, with the striker’s first-time finish leaving Atkinson stranded.

But the visitors’ lead lasted just four minutes, with Brazel racing down the right-wing before finding Greaves, who rifled home to tie the scores at 3-3.

Soon after, Bury missed a fantastic chance to score a fourth, with Brazel somehow managing to fire an outstanding Abs Lobasoto cross wide of the far post from five yards out.

However it was again late heartbreak for the Chevrons, Brazel scoring the winning goal in the 87th minute after meeting Lobasoto’s cross with a header at the back post that narrowly evaded Bristol.

Steeton are next in League action at AFC Darwen tomorrow night (7:45 pm kick-off).