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Shakers News Centre > Match Previews > Oldham V Bury
Shakers driving for play-offs in derby
Date: Friday 30th March 2001, 18:00 BST
The realisation that the promotion play-offs are firmly back in Bury's sights should mean that an always bitterly fought local derby is contested with even greater aggression and vigour than usual at Boundary Park tomorrow afternoon.
Three key victories in games with Milwall, Wrexham and Stoke City have seen Bury surge away from the relegation zone with considerable speed, and into the top half of the table where they now occupy tenth position on the eve of a fixture which they lost 2-0 last season in wholly unsatisfactory fashion.
A defeat as comprehensive as that which Neil Warnock's team received in September 1999 cannot be repeated tomorrow or else Bury's season will be over. That was the consensus after a narrow loss at Bournemouth last weekend, however, only for victory over Stoke to once again illustrate that hope and speculation are present in abundance at Gigg Lane.
They must record victory without Sam Collins, the central defender whose troublesome achilles has sidelined him once again. The maturity of Nicky Hill, however, has softened the blow of losing Collins from the back three which will now line-up with Swailes and Redmond, the old Boundary Park veteran, alongside the youngster.
Nick Daws' groin strain, which he has been playing through during the last two matches, is threatening to rule him out. Jason Jarrett is on standby to slot into a midfield trio beside Paul Reid and Martyn Forrest. Reid will be expecting no less a tough time than he received from the Oldham supporters in the reverse fixture in December for his move between the two clubs.
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