Bury Town boss Cole Skuse sees ‘realistic shot’ at making play-offs ahead of hosting league leaders Lowestoft Town

Cole Skuse will be looking for his Bury Town side to show their play-off credentials as they look to halt the Lowestoft Town juggernaut at the OCS Ram Meadow Stadium tomorrow (3pm).

The Blues host the Pitching In Isthmian League North Division leaders off the back of returning to action following a couple of weather postponements in last weekend’s 0-0 draw at seventh-placed Brentwood Town.

It was a result that left them 10th in the table and eight points off the top five but with two games in hand on three of the four current occupiers, including fifth-placed Basildon United.

And following negotiating their way through a tricky spell of results to go into the fixture with two wins from their last three, manager Skuse is confident they can quickly get themselves in contention for a promotion push.

"I think now we’re starting to see the best of certain individuals,” he said.

“We’ve had enough time to adjust to each other and I think you’ll see the best of our group.

"In terms of our aspirations, our aspirations never change. We think the play-offs is the minimum requirement for ourselves and we have a real realistic shot at doing that.”

Jamie Godbold’s Lowestoft side arrive off the back of eight straight wins, having only lost one game and drew one in their 14 matches, to leave them six points clear of second-placed Felixstowe & Walton United while also holding two games in hand on them.

But Skuse revealed his side will not be making special adjustments to try and contain the leaders.

He said: “They are a real good team and they’ve got some real good players that a lot of our staff know.

“It’s going to be a real tough game in front of what I think will be a pretty good crowd.

“But from our perspective nothing changes in terms of the way we want to do things.

"Albeit you look at our results throughout the first half of the season and they’ve been inconsistent, of late we’ve had a real purple patch and played some real good stuff.

"I mean this in the nicest possible manner but I don’t think there is anyone in the league we’re afraid of or we’ll wilt to or buckle at the knees to.

"It’s going to be a real tough game but ultimately I want the emphasis on us and the way we do things and we’ll be a match for anyone.”

He described last Saturday’s goalless draw at Brentwood, which saw Max Maughn hit the bar late in the first half before the hosts were denied twice by the goal-frame in the second, as ‘a good point on the road’.

Forward Ollie Canfer,not available for Brentwood due to work commitments, is in line to return having scored for the Under-23s in Monday’s 5-1 home win against Brantham Athletic.

Skuse said he has no injury issues going into the meeting with the Trawlerboys.

Bury are without a Boxing Day fixture, playing the following Saturday at home to Grays Athletic.