Preece remains in confident mood

Bury 0 AFC Bournemouth

Andy Preece, the Bury manager, will rely on his side's away form to carry them into the Third Division play-off final after watching his side defy Jamie Stuart's red card to earn a goalless draw with Bournemouth at Gigg Lane on Saturday.

Stuart was sent off in first-half injury time following a clash with Wade Elliott, but, though the dismissal prevented Bury from going on to win a game whose first half they had controlled, they regrouped to deny Bournemouth an advantage they scarcely deserved.

Bury have one of the best away records in the league, winning 10 games, and Preece said: "At 0-0 it's evenly poised and we can go there on Tuesday with massive confidence because of our away form."

Elliott was booked after elbowing Stuart in the face, leaving the defender with a broken nose, but Stuart's angry reaction – the full-back claimed Elliott's elbow had been deliberate – earned him straight red.

Bury: Garner, Nelson, Redmond, Woodthorpe, Connell, Forrest, Billy, Clegg (Swailes, 78), Stuart, Cramb (Preece, 82), Newby (Nugent, 82). Substitutes not used: Unsworth, Dunfield.

Bournemouth: Moss, Young, Gulliver, C Fletcher, Cummings, Elliott, Stephen Purches, Stock (Holmes, 85), Thomas (O'Connor, 68), Hayter (McDonald, 86), S Fletcher. Substitutes not used: Stewart (gk), Narada.

Referee: J Winter (Stockton-on-Tees).

Bookings: Bournemouth: Elliott. Sending off: Bury: Stuart.

Man of the match: Moss.

Attendance: 5,782.