MANAGER David Flitcroft hopes Bury continue to prove the doubters wrong as they host Bradford tomorrow.

Some feared Bury were heading for a relegation battle after heavy defeats at Barnsley and Coventry left them 16th in League One, seven points above the drop zone.

But Flitcroft’s men have made a superb response, with Tuesday night’s 3-1 home win against Peterborough meaning the Shakers have taken 10 points from a possible 15 since that 6-0 drubbing by Coventry.

“People have come away from the plan, they’ve disbelieved,” said the Bury boss.

“They had us down as relegation fodder, that we were fighting a relegation battle.

“I’ve never once mentioned the word ‘relegation’ – until now.

“When I was at Barnsley and we made the miraculous escape, I never once used the word. When I came here just over two years ago I never used it.

“I look up, I look forward. I’m a positive guy and I look to the future.

“The disbelievers, the deserters, they’ll have their times when they come away from the project, and I don’t get it. I don’t understand it.

“The players’ commitment to the cause has been questioned over the last month or so but it was on show on Tuesday night,” Flitcroft added.

“They were running for each other and giving each other their all.”

Although Bury have risen just three places to 13th, they are just five points off the play-off places, and another home win tomorrow will put them a point behind ninth-placed Bradford.

The Shakers knocked them out of the FA Cup in January after a gripping replay and the Bantams lost 2-1 at home to rock-bottom Colchester in midweek, with the U’s ending their run of 19 games without a league win.

Flitcroft could be struggling to put a team out on Saturday, though. Keeper Rob Lainton and midfielder Kelvin Etuhu are still out while youngster George Miller now needs a knee operation, as well as captain Nathan Cameron.

Illness ruled Reece Brown out in midweek so the Shakers were down to one fit centre-half, Peter Clarke, with Tom Soares having to fill in alongside him.

Joe Riley was then injured in the warm-up and Jacob Mellis, the man who replaced him in the starting line-up, was forced off with an ankle injury.

And after the game wingers Danny Mayor and John O’Sullivan reported hamstring problems, which will be assessed in training today.

Flitcroft has therefore been desperate to bring in reinforcements on loan but his efforts have so far proved fruitless.

“It’s become ridiculous,” said the Bury manager. “At one point I said to (assistant) Ben Futcher, ‘have you got your gear on or what? We can fit you in at centre-half.’

“We’ve been trying to get players in because we’re light, we’re down to the bare bones. It’s now biting and that’s a worry.

“You won’t believe the amount of players that have turned us down, we couldn’t afford or they had other options, but we’ll keep trying and keep looking for the players we need.”