A STAGGERING 2,300 Bury fans will make the short trip to the final match of the season at Tranmere on Saturday and manager David Flitcroft is eager to give them something to celebrate.

The Shakers have sold out their ticket allocation, with the club putting on 10 coaches to ferry the away support across the Mersey for the last-day promotion decider.

Bury, who moved up to fourth in League Two following their 2-0 win at home to AFC Wimbledon last weekend, can clinch automatic promotion with a victory if third-placed Southend fail to win at Morecambe.

“Southend have won their last seven with eight clean sheets so they are the team in form in the league,” said Flitcroft.

“They are very resilient, very stubborn and sometimes it is the team that puts the last run together that nicks that third spot.

“But it is fantastic to know that we have still got an opportunity to go up automatic in a give-it-everything game.”

Flitcroft accepts Southend are in the box seat, but has not discounted Morecambe boss Jim Bentley doing his side another favour after they pulled off a shock win at Wycombe at the weekend to knock the Chairboys out of the top three.

“I said it when we played them, Jim Bentley probably doesn’t get the credit he deserves,” said the Bury manager, referring to his side’s damaging 2-1 defeat at home to Morecambe on Easter Monday.

“His budget is probably one of the smallest in the league, but he keeps winning football matches in this league and getting to his points target – a very astute guy who knows football inside out and gets players playing for him.

“So listen, Jim will be giving it everything to try to beat Southend, but we have just got to concentrate on us.”

Tranmere stand between Bury and possible promotion to League One.

It had been expected that both sides would have something to play before results conspired against the Wirral club last weekend as defeat at Plymouth saw them relegated to the Conference.

And Flitcroft admits to being a relieved man that Bury will not be remembered as the club that put Tranmere down.

“There are good people there and the fans are passionate, so it is a very good football club that has gone,” he said.

“It is a massive trauma for Tranmere so I am probably relieved a bit that it doesn’t hinge on us going down there and maybe knocking a team out of the league, because I would have taken no joy from that.”