Bury's League Two fixture with playoff rivals Southend United has been abandoned due to a waterlogged pitch.

The Gigg Lane turf was bombarded by heavy rain in the build up to the match, which referee Tony Harrington assessed to be unplayable after just 18 minutes of action.

Harrington originally opted to start the game, but called both sets of players off after seeing that the conditions had not got better.

Bury manager David Flitcroft believes that it was the right decision to call the match off.

"We can't do anything about what's happened, it's something out of our control," he told BBC Sport.

"It was absolutely the right decision by the ref - he had every right to start the game. Well done to the ref for making the right decision.

"It's incredible how much it came down just before and during the game. It's tough for the Southend fans now who'll have to make the long trip up on a Tuesday night now."

The two clubs are planning to meet on Monday to arrange a new date for the fixture to be replayed.