DAVID Flitcroft heads a four-man shortlist for September’s Sky Bet manager of the month award for League One.

Bury striker Leon Clarke is also up for the player’s prize after scoring four goals in the club’s five straight wins.

Shakers boss Flitcroft is the only nominated manager to have guided their side to maximum points in September, with victories at home to Coventry and Port Vale and at Sheffield United, Walsall and Peterborough United.

“(Flitcroft) oversaw a perfect month at Gigg Lane with Bury,” read a statement from the judging panel, which included former Ipswich manager George Burley and Sky Sports’ Football League expert Don Goodman, as well as representatives from the Football League, the League Managers’ Association and Sky Bet.

“What made that all the more impressive was the difficulty of their fixture list.”

Flitcroft faces competition for the award from Phil Brown, who led Southend to four wins from five games, and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, who took Burton to the top of the table with 10 points from a possible 15.

Hasselbaink, Flitcroft and Brown all led their sides to promotion from League Two last season.

The fourth man on the list, Tony Humes, helped Colchester United escape relegation in 2014/15 before leading them to 13 points from five games last month.

Clarke, who has scored nine goals in 10 appearances, has helped Bury become the top scorers in the Football League, with the club netting 26 so far in all competitions and 10 in the league during September.

He is up against Walsall front man Tom Bradshaw, Colchester goalkeeper Jamie Jones and Rochdale midfielder Peter Vincenti for the player of the month award.