A DEFIANT Stephen Dawson has fired a warning to Bury’s title rivals: We’re back.

The captain’s 86th-minute winner from the penalty spot sealed a superb 3-2 victory at Crewe on Tuesday night.

After a poor start to the new season in which they lost their opening five games at home, Alan Knill’s rejuvenated side have now won three in a row.

And midfielder Dawson feels the Shakers, who came within a penalty kick of last season's play-off final, can now forget about their early problems as they look to continue their surge up the League Two table.

“It’s over now,” said the 23-year-old Dubliner. “A couple of games in we were all frustrated with ourselves because of what happened last year.

“After such a bad start we just wanted to get a few wins on the bounce and that’s three on the spin now. We knew we hadn’t become a bad team overnight — we missed out by one goal and stuff was just not going for us.

“We made individual mistakes. I made a mistake after we dominated Cheltenham and ended up losing the game.

“But it’s behind us now. We’ve got our confidence back now and we’re starting to play football like we did last year. A couple of games ago not many people would have thought we would have come back and won the game after it went two-all.

“Crewe’s a difficult place to come and get three points and if we get three more points on Saturday we’ll be right back in the mix again.”

After six points from their first seven games, Bury have taken nine points in 11 days — including ending their Gigg Lane hoodoo against Lincoln at the weekend — and are now up to 10th.

Just three points off the play-off spots, the Shakers are now targeting victory at second-bottom Torquay on Saturday — although they may have to do it with just one fit striker. Knill’s problems up front continued with top-scorer Ryan Lowe limping off with an ankle injury at Crewe.

Five-goal Lowe hopes to recover in time but with Danny Carlton, Andy Morrell, who will have a scan on his ankle, and now Andy Bishop struggling, Knill only has teenager Tom Elliott at his disposal.

And the Shakers manager admits Bishop’s latest setback is a concern.

“He’s really struggling with his groin,” said Knill. “The operations he’s had have taken their toll. He’s stiff after every game and training session.

“We’re trying to ease him through but it’s not going to be a quick fix.”