EXCITEMENT is rightly building behind Bury’s promotion push after back-to-back victories on the road this week and another pair of clean sheets.

A lot of credit has got to go to the players, who have really buckled down after coming under a fair amount of criticism when results dipped in November and December.

They have done their bit to get the Shakers back in the promotion mix and now I think it is down to the fans to help carry them the rest of the way.

A lot of people are looking at the last Tuesday night game against Shrewsbury, just after Easter, as a potential season-defining match.

But there is a lot of football to be played before and after that.

And while victory against Micky Mellon’s side could go a long way to deciding if Bury make it into the automatic promotion places, I think every one of the remaining nine games are equally as important.

That is where the support will come into it.

There will be ups and down between now and the final game against Tranmere and it is important that the mood in the ground, starting with Saturday’s game against Northampton, remains positive.

Anything can happen, as we saw in Bury’s last home match against Oxford, and the fans can play a big part in picking the players up when things don’t quite go their way.

As we have seen with recent results of strugglers like Hartlepool, Tranmere and Carlisle, this league is so unpredictable, the players have to keep their heads up and keep on fighting to the end.

In many ways, Carlisle’s win against Northampton on Tuesday night has gone against Bury.

I know the Cobblers manager Chris Wilder very well, and he will make sure his side, who are just outside the play-off places and had been on a great run, will be right back on their game.

They will also be hoping to gain revenge for defeat in the reverse fixture on Boxing Day, so the Shakers squad, management and supporters need to be ready.

It is a blow that Bury will have to go into the game without their captain, Nathan Cameron, but David Flitcroft has been working hard to build up his squad for this moment.

He will have no qualms about turning to Adam El-Abd to fill the void. Adam has proven Championship quality and was doing a good job for the side before losing his place through suspension recently.

I think Bury are ready for this challenge, but they cannot afford to let their intensity and focus drop now as this league can come back to bite you.

That is where I believe backing from the home faithful could prove decisive.

Up the Shakers!