DAVID Flitcroft and Leon Clarke have missed out on the League One manager and player of the month awards for September.

Both Bury men were nominated but Flitcroft was beaten to the manager’s prize by Burton boss Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, who led his side to the top of the division for the first time in their history.

Flitcroft could not have done any more as he led Bury to maximum points from five games, while Burton took 10 from 15.

Clarke, who scored four goals in September was pipped to the player’s prize by Rochdale playmaker Peter Vincenti.

He has since taken his tally to nine from 10 appearances after scoring the only goal of the game at Colchester last weekend.

And after resting his star striker for the midweek Johnstone’s Paint Trophy defeat to Morecambe, Flitcroft is under no illusions just how important Clarke has been to his side’s fantastic start to the season.

“His performance over the season has been fantastic,” said the Bury boss.

“He’s found a home, he’s a fantastic trainer and I do believe that if you maintain your standards like Leon does then the goals will come.

“He’s nearly in double figures already and he’s only 10 games in.

“His form has been spectacular but his attitude also has and the two for me always go hand in hand.

“You don’t get lucky streaks as a striker. You get good streaks and he is in a good streak because his work ethic, his training ethic and his standards are that high.

“He’s been on the money since he has been in and we are delighted to have him.

“I looked at Tuesday night’s game and we have probably missed him – his quality, his devilment, his pace and his power.

“So that is food for thought.”

The 30-year-old front man is sure to start in tomorrow’s crunch clash at home to Wigan.

Bury’s Lancashire rivals, who are still receiving parachute payments from their time in the Premier League, were tipped to storm the division after dropping down from the Championship.

But they are currently ninth in the table, six points behind the third placed Shakers after drawing their last three games.

Flitcroft’s men, meanwhile, go into the Gigg Lane showdown on the back of six straight victories in the league, three behind the club’s record run, set in 1961.

The squad is struggling with injuries, however, with key midfielders Kelvin Etuhu and Andrew Tutte out of action and Jacob Mellis rested for the last game with a muscle strain.

The impending sale of Matty Foulds also means they only have utility player Reece Brown as cover for the centre-back positions.

But Flitcroft saw enough in Brown's performance against Morecambe, despite a late slip that cost Bury the game, to believe he can do a job at the back if called upon.

“He was excellent. From seeing him in the pre-season game at Morecambe as a centre-half, after 25 minutes he was blowing,” he said.

“He has not really had the pre-season he should have had and there was real worry about taking him then, but you can just see what you can produce in three months.

“He’s worked hard, he’s bought into it, he’s bought into life at Carrington, he’s bought into the staff and he’s really worked hard on his game and that was evident.

“I was delighted with 99 per cent of his performance. As he tired he just got that little bit lazy in that last bit but I can’t take anything away from the overall 93 minutes that he was very good for.”