Be afraid, warns Shakers boss

PETER Clarke will face one of his former clubs on Saturday

BURY manager Lee Clark reckons that Athletic won't fancy squaring up to his side in the big relegation clash.

Despite losing 2-1 at home to Gillingham last week - a first defeat under the new stewardship of ex-Huddersfield, Blackpool and Kilmarnock boss Clark - official statistics showed that the Shakers produced a tally of 24 attempts at goal at Gigg Lane.

Bury also hit the woodwork twice and while James Vaughan pulled a goal back late on with his 20th of the season, all netted in only 31 appearances, the hosts still couldn't get past the struggling Gills.

It was a result that proved again how unpredictable Sky Bet League One is - Gillingham had won away from home once in the league since the opening month - but Clark was satisfied with his team's performance if not the ultimate outcome.

"We have got 10 games left and if we play like we did against Gillingham, we will get lots of points out of those 10 games," the Bury manager said.

"Our level of performance was outstanding.

"When you play well and get performances like that one, you know results will be just around the corner.

"So we have to be ready to go again at Oldham. I bet our opponents are watching us and not looking forward to playing us, that's for sure."

Clark and Sheridan have locked managerial horns on four occasions over the years. Sheridan gained a 1-1 draw at Clark's Huddersfield with Athletic in January, 2009, thanks to Mark Allott's superb 25-yard volley, while the following season with Chesterfield he knocked the Terriers out of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy with a penalty shoot-out win after a 3-3 draw.

Sheridan lost his other two clashes against Clark, 1-0 at Huddersfield as Chesterfield boss and 3-2 at Birmingham while manager at Plymouth.

"He's a very, very experienced man and a good man," Clarke said of his Athletic counterpart.

"This is a derby and we are both down at the wrong end of the table, so there is a lot riding on it.

"We have to reproduce the level of performance against Gillingham, not switch off as we did for the goals and then go from there."

Athletic will clearly need to be watchful of Vaughan and Clark paid tribute to his talismanic striker.

"He is top drawer and his goals record tells you that," he said. "For me it's his all-round character and personality and his will to win.

"He never gives up and deserves all the plaudits he gets."