Shakers targeting fast start against Longridge to build on unbeaten run

Bury are 20 games unbeaten in the league – but Cam Fogerty still believes there is more to come from the Shakers.

Dave McNabb’s side gained another point on leaders Ramsbottom United on Tuesday night as they came from behind to draw against Charnock Richard thanks to Alex Cherera’s moment of magic.

However, there was a tinge of frustration that they could not find a winner after cranking up the pressure in the final stages.

Attention now turns to the visit of Longridge this weekend and Fogerty insists they have to be ready from the first whistle.

“I thought Longridge were quite good at their place,” he said. “They had three penalties and they were quite unlucky to be honest, it wasn’t a 5-1 game.

“If they turn up and do that again on Saturday, we need to be at our best. We can’t start games the way we started (on Tuesday).”

The midfielder added: “We had a few words at half time and the second half was unbelievable.

“We had a few cleared off the line and a couple of rash shots. If you look at the chances, we probably deserved to win but the first half was terrible.

“It has happened a few times this season. We don’t know what it is, whether it is a mindset thing, but we have started slowly in some games and it has taken a word at half time for us to really turn it on.

“It needs to stop, I know we are 20 unbeaten now in the league but there have been too many draws.”

The gap to Ramsbottom United is now down to four points with three games in hand, and the leaders still have to travel to Gigg Lane on Boxing Day.

“We are looking for more consistency in our performances,” assistant manager Tim Lees added. “At the level we are at, it is about what you do in both boxes.

“You are not going to create every chance, we are creating a lot of chances each game but we can take that.

“What we can’t take as a group is the drop-off in performance in the first half. The way we start games is key, especially with the way we want to play.

“We have got to take confidence away from the opposition. That is something we will be focusing on this Thursday and looking at for Saturday.”