Bury manager David Flitcroft has stressed the need for his players to raise their game or risk the prospect of relegation ahead their crunch match against Dagenham and Redbridge FC.
The former Rochdale assistant manager faces a hard encounter against the Daggers, who sit comfortably in 11th on 49 points, just six behind the last League Two play-off position.
The Shakers go into Saturday’s game on the back of a draw at Southend on Saturday and a disappointing defeat at bottom of the table Torquay United on Tuesday, results Flitcroft wants to improve on.
“I have got to make sure that we raise our standards because there is a short-term plan and that short-term plan is winning football matches,” the ex-Barnsley manager told the Bury FC YouTube channel.
“We have fallen below our usual standards and we have got to readdress that.
“We have been doing ok against the top teams, but we now have to pit our wits against teams down there fighting and that’s for me the real test.”
Bury, will host at the JD Stadium, currently sitting five places behind Dagenham in 18th place on 42 points only four points clear of Northampton Town who sit in the final relegation spot.
Their visitors have had a positive run of form in March, collecting 9 points from a possible 15 with an impressive 2-1 away win against Newport County on Wednesday.
The Shakers last encounter with the Daggers ended in a 2-1 loss after they conceded goals to Afolabi Obafemi and Rhys Murphy before Anton Forrester pulled a late goal back with an 89thminute penalty.
Bury head into the weekend clash with the return to fitness of captain Craig Jones and leading goal scorer Daniel Nardiello while midfielder Tommy Miller is expected to return after missing the last two matches with a strain and ankle knock.
However, play-maker Tom Soares is doubtful to start after he limped off with a hamstring problem against Torquay during the week.
Despite recent disappointing results, Bury chairman Stewart Day is positive for the future of the football club and has high aspirations.
“We want to take this football club as high as we possibly can,” he told the BBC Late Kick-off programme this week.
“What I have got in store is hopefully to get this club out of League Two and my ideal thing is to get this club into the Championship within a five-year period and hopefully we can kick on from there.
“This year was a lot about stability. There was so much off the pitch that we needed to get right that we probably took our eye off the ball of things on the pitch in the first 10 weeks.”
There had been speculation as to whether the Shakers would be moving football stadiums in the near future but the chairman was quick to quash any rumours.
“We are not looking to move from the ground. We have got plans to redevelop the stadium, which will be coming public knowledge in the next few months as well.”
This was confirmed later in the week by Flitcroft who is eager to purely focus on the games in hand rather than ambitious plans to redevelop JD Stadium and propel Bury into the Championship within five years.
“When we get a little further down the line, yes there is an exciting future for Bury Football Club, there’s no doubt about that, but part of that future is making sure we win football matches.”
Main image courtesy of Bury Football Club via YouTube, with thanks.
