Sport

Finish as we intend to go on: Peter Shirtliff challenges Bury to bow out with pride

By Oliver Rhodes

Bury assistant manager Peter Shirtliff remains in the dark over the club’s situation, but hopes the players finish the season strongly – starting with victory against Walsall.

The Shakers travel to the Banks’s Stadium with relegation signed and sealed, but Kevin Blackwell’s players beat Scunthorpe United in their last game.

However, Bury require investors in order to survive and Shirtliff is along with the rest of the staff and the players in looking short-term.

“I’m a bit of a believer that the way you finish a season is how you start the next one so hopefully you finish on a high note,” he told BBC Radio Manchester.

“We don’t know what the situation is for next season so it’s a day to day situation really.”

Bury listed only two substitutes against Scunthorpe – David Healy and Tom Pratt – and Shirtliff admitted the club continues to struggle with squad depth.

“We are down to bare bones but the lads will keep going and you never know, we might win the next two games,” he added.

Defenders Efe Sodje and Ethan Ebanks-Landell are available for the weekend fixture after returning from a two-game suspension and illness respectively.

Former Hull City striker Craig Fagan is suspended following a three-match ban and Andy Bishop is injured with a foot problem.

Bury and the Saddlers shared the spoils in October, but Walsall will hope to capture all three points to maintain their League One play-off hopes.

If Bury beat Walsall, they will secure successive victories for the first time since November 2012.

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