BURY manager David Flitcroft has told his players not to fear tonight’s Capital One Cup opponents Wigan following their promising start to life back in League One.

Leon Clarke’s walk-in goal stole the headlines on Saturday’s first competitive match since last season’s promotion from League Two but the striker’s bizarre equaliser was all the Shakers deserved.

The goalscorer had already hit the bar twice before being allowed to stroll through the Doncaster half unchallenged.

And after taking a point back to Gigg Lane Flitcroft now expects his side to push another one of League One’s fancied sides all the way in the cup.

“Getting the first 90 minutes under our belt, I think the players could understand we belong in this division and that’s something that’s really important to me,” he said.

Wigan endured a more difficult day on their return to League One, carrying on the form that saw them relegated from the Championship last season with a 2-0 defeat at Coventry.

But Gary Caldwell has a decent budget to play with at the DW Stadium, still underpinned by a sizeable Premier League parachute payment.

And while Flitcroft expects them to offer a sizeable challenge, he does not believe his squad will be overawed by it.

“We’re looking forward to every game,” he said.

“We can’t have a fear to what we do.

“Since I’ve come to the club I’ve told every player that when they wear a Bury shirt it’s not about wearing it with pride, it’s about wearing it with no fear because I think that, for too long, Bury were feeling unlucky for themselves.

“They sometimes felt like they didn’t belong where they were.

“Well, we belong in League One. We sacrificed everything last season to get into League One.

“Now we’re going to sacrifice everything to stay in this division and compete in it.

“As soon as fear comes into your body and comes into your mind, it does strange things. It de-energises you and I’ve got to make sure we don’t have that.”

Clarke, who spent 10 games on loan at Wigan last season, is certainly raring to go after getting off the mark in South Yorkshire, despite the surreal nature of his first league goal for Bury since his summer move to Gigg Lane from Wolves.

"There were a lot of positives to take out of it,” he said of the 1-1 draw.

“The gaffer said afterwards that Doncaster want to be a top-six team this season and we matched them all the way.

“We could have won – should have – so as a team I don't think we've got anything to be worried about this season.

“If we keep playing like that we'll win more games than we lose.”