THE top of the table clash at the JD Stadium this weekend is a fantastic reward for Bury’s fine early season form and I hope the game gets the attendance and atmosphere it deserves.

Burton should bring a few fans down to the JD Stadium after their own good start and it would be good to see the Shakers get the same for what I expect to be a high-quality match.

Gary Rowett has rightfully earned plaudits – and job offers – for the way his Brewers’ side have performed so far this season, on the back of a number of successful campaigns when they have flirted with promotion. But I just have a feeling that David Flitcroft and his men could have too much for them on the day.

Whatever happens, it should be a cracking watch, and the good thing is that while a place at the top of the table is at stake there is a lot less riding on a game like this at this early stage of the season.

If one team loses, they will not have to start again from scratch. They are both good sides and will come again, so in many respects they can play with freedom, put on a show for the fans and try to lay down a marker for the rest of the division.

Not that Flitcroft and his players will be taking the match lightly.

Captain Jim McNulty touched on the side’s battling qualities in his post-match press conference, and I think that has been one of the most impressive features of Bury’s early season results.

They might have played one or two teams off the park, but most of their victories have come via the odd goal, and they have also shown the strength to grind out draws away from home.

I was at Preston the other night, and one thing that struck me from their performance was that they might have played some startling stuff at times, but when push came to shove they looked fragile in defence.

Bury are not like that – Flitcroft has built this team the right way, from back to front.

They do not concede many goals because they don’t give away too many chances.

There is a firm foundation there and you can’t expect to challenge for titles or promotion without that.

Like any team, Bury will go through difficult spells when they will not be playing well and will have to grind out results.

But they have shown already this campaign that they are more than capable of doing that.

In their last two home games the Shakers have come from behind to beat Accrington and Stevenage and that – more than the fine form of their attacking players – has given me the confidence this side are made of the right stuff.