RYAN Kidd believes the dramatic late twist that handed his Bury Under-18s side the North West youth title should provide a welcome boost for the first team as they prepare for Saturday's League Two promotion decider.

The Bolton-based coach sees a remarkable similarity between the rollercoaster ride his youth players went on to the one currently being experienced by the senior side.

Both teams lost home games against their main rivals at a key late stage of the season before bouncing back.

Kidd's team were beaten 3-2 by Wigan at the JD Stadium, but after the young Shakers went on to win their final two games the Latics wilted under the pressure, failing to earn the point they needed for the title in the last match against Rochdale.

David Flitcroft's League Two outfit have had to overcome similar disappointment after losing 1-0 at home to Southend last week to hand the Shrimpers control of the race for the top three with two games remaining.

“Tuesday night (against Southend) reminded me of when Wigan beat us here,” said Kidd.

“We had two games left and we all thought if we beat Wigan it would be in our own hands and we would go on to win the title.

“But Wigan did us against the run of play.

"I said to the lads we have got two games left, put six points on the board and pressure is an unbelievable thing.

“Going into their last game, everybody assumed Wigan would win. They had gone 23 games unbeaten and they knew all they needed was a point and they lost.”

Bury’s senior side have also been left relying on results elsewhere despite going into their match against Southend with promotion destiny firmly in their own hands.

Defeat left them two points outside the top three but they kept the pressure on Southend with victory against Wimbledon on Saturday and while the Shrimpers also won, they know if they fail to win at Morecambe on the final day Bury could snatch promotion by gaining all three points at Tranmere.

“Southend are on that run at the moment, they have hit eight straight wins,” he said.

“But pressure is a weird thing.

“If you can keep churning out your results and keep putting the points on the board, somebody is going to have to beat them.

“So it’s all to play for and if we get three points you never know.

“I can see how hard the gaffer works behind the scenes and how professional his staff are, so it would be great if we could do it (against Tranmere), it really would.

“Fingers crossed they get the job done.”

Even without the title, Kidd could have looked upon a first season in charge of the U18s as a success.

Five of his youth team players – Anthony Dudley, Scott Burgess, Marcus Poscha, Jack Ruddy and Matt Foulds – have already signed professional contracts with the club

“We have got some very talented first-year scholars and some very good exciting under-16s coming through as well. I am sure we can have a go at defending our title next year, but I want to get players into the first team,” said Kidd, who is eager to end a run of six years without a youth-team player breaking into the first team at Bury.

“We have got to make sure that run is broken and then hopefully some of the kids will be good enough to push beyond if they keep on improving.”