Bury 1-0 Walsall
- Published
Bury missed two penalties but still opened their League One campaign with a 1-0 victory over Walsall.
Despite finishing 19th last term, the Shakers are targeting promotion from the third tier after making 18 summer signings.
Two of them missed from the spot - Jermaine Beckford on three minutes and Chris Maguire with 10 minutes left - but the former made amends by heading home the game's only goal in first-half stoppage time.
Bury had an opportunity to take an early lead after Stephen Dawson was tripped by Florent Cuvelier, but Beckford's side-footed effort was turned wide by new Walsall goalkeeper Mark Gillespie.
Moments later Beckford scuffed a close-range effort and Walsall replied with Simeon Jackson's deflected strike clipping the far post.
But ex-Leeds and Preston forward Beckford broke the deadlock just before half-time, heading home from Maguire's deflected free-kick.
Maguire and Beckford then tested Gillespie before he tipped Maguire's penalty onto the post after Jon Guthrie tripped Bury substitute Zeli Ismail.
The ex-Oxford winger was therefore relieved to see Walsall substitute Maz Kouhyar fire straight at Joe Murphy late on as the hosts held on to secure victory.
Match report supplied by the Press Association.