DAVID Flitcroft capped a perfect month for Bury with a nominations for a top managerial award.

His achievement of leading the Shakers to promotion last season has earned the 41-year-old coach a place on the four-man shortlist for the MBNA North West Manager of the Year Award.

And after guiding his side to six straight wins in September, Flitcroft is also certain to be in the running for the League One manager of the month award when the shortlist is announced next Wednesday.

But despite admitting to being proud of the recognition, he says all the plaudits should be shared by everyone at the club.

"I'm all about the team, I'm all about Bury Football Club," he said.

"The staff I've got are incredible, the players I've got are outstanding, and I've got an outstanding chairman and board.

"It's the club's reward and we should go to the night, respect the night, and see what comes of it.

"I'm proud that my family's proud. I lost my dad and I know my mum will be proud that I'm up for the awards.

"It makes her life better and my family's life better – my boys and my wife.

"I'm certainly very respectful of Bury Football Club and what it's given me as a coach/manager and I'm very proud of the way we go about things."

Flitcroft's deserved recognition follows a remarkable start to this season's League One campaign.

Bury moved up to fourth in the table following a gutsy 3-2 win at Peterborough United on Tuesday night.

That was one of four away victories in September, which continued a run of 16 matches unbeaten on the road since Bury's last away defeat at current League One leaders Burton Albion at the end of January.

The Shakers sit just three points behind the table-toppers going into Saturday's trip to Colchester United, who are just outside the play-off places in eighth after four straight wins in the league.

"It's something to protect, it's something to be proud of, absolutely," said Flitcroft, in reference to Bury's fantastic away record.

"A lot of hard miles has gone into it – your chief scout, your opposition analysis, your analysis guys, they are working around the clock.

"I'm delighted for them because you can't get an away record like that without having fantastic staff.

"But the players, they do really want to protect something.

"We've had some tough games and (Colchester) it's another tough one. The players will know what to expect and they will be fighting and dying for every cause."

Flitcroft will have to assess the knee injury picked up by Craig Jones in a tackle on Tuesday night that earned Peterborough forward Erhun Oztumer a red card.

He is also on the lookout for goalkeeping cover after number two stopper Jack Ruddy was called up by Scotland for an Under-19s tournament in Germany which should see him miss Saturday's match and home games against Morecambe and Wigan next week.