BURY goalkeeper Gary Kelly has made a flying start to a potential new career at Oldham Athletic.

The Shakers' longest serving player began his bid to impress Boundary Park boss Graeme Sharpe with an impressive display in a 1-1 reserve draw at Liverpool.

Latics swooped to sign 30-year-old Kelly on loan yesterday and rushed through his resignation in time for him to make an instant debut in the tough Pontins League Premier Division clash at Anfield in the afternoon. If Sharpe is satisfied with what he sees of the man who played 240 games in six years at Gigg Lane, he will only have to pay a bargain £20,000 to provide quality cover and competition for his only experienced keeper Jon Hallworth.

Cash-strapped Sharpe, who has been desperate to sign another keeper since selling Paul Gerrard to Everton in a £1.5m deal in the summer, said: "Gary comes with some very good references. It is only a month's loan at this stage. We will watch him in a few reserve games and see how he does." Meanwhile, Bury were today anxiously awaiting the verdict of a transfer tribunal who were meeting in Manchester today to set a price on Kelly's successor in the Bury No. 1 shirt Dean Kiely.

York City are understood to be demanding around £500,000 for the 25-year-old who will join up with his new teammates immediately after the tribunal to travel down to Wycombe Wanderers for tonight's Second Division clash when the Shakers will aim to build on their unbeaten start to the season.

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