BURY midfielder Danny Mayor could be forced to change his travel plans after tomorrow’s match at Portsmouth following his nomination for the League Two player of the year award.

Manager David Flitcroft revealed his players, who are locked in a battle with Wycombe for the final automatic promotion place, had grouped together to pay towards the cost of flying back from the south coast.

The aim was to aid their preparations for Tuesday’s home game against Southend, but it looks as if Mayor may now have to make a detour, leaving his team-mates at the airport to head off to the Football League Awards ceremony, which will be held at The Brewery in London on Sunday night.

The 24-year-old winger has made a three-man shortlist for the award, alongside Wycombe defender Alfie Mawson and Shrewsbury playmaker Ryan Woods.

His performances have been a major factor in propelling Bury to fourth in the table, just four points behind Wycombe with a game in hand.

A statement from the Football League said Mayor had "impressed right throughout this season with his pace, technical ability and his stunning array of long range goals."

The Leyland-born midfielder, who started out at Preston, joined Bury on loan from Sheffield Wednesday last season before signing a permanent deal in the summer, and has gone on to score eight goals this campaign.

If Mayor does lift the award, which is voted for by the division’s 24 managers, that could be viewed as a good omen for the club.

Bury striker Ryan Lowe claimed the prize in 2011, when his goals fired the Shakers to six wins from their final eight matches, helping them sneak into the top three and claim promotion.

Flitcroft’s men are in a similar rich vein of form, beating second-placed Shrewsbury on Tuesday to make it 10 wins from their last 12 matches.

They travel to Portsmouth with a fully-fit squad and the opportunity to set a new club record for consecutive away victories after equalling the current mark of six following their 2-0 win at Newport last weekend.

It had looked like the perfect time to play Portsmouth, whose play-off hopes have been dashed in recent weeks following a downturn in form.

Top scorer Jed Wallace is one of seven first-team players ruled out through injury, but after manager Andy Awford was sacked on Monday, the remaining members of the squad will no doubt be out to impress caretaker boss Gary Waddock.

Awford’s former assistant has stepped up to the top job and Flitcroft is hopeful his familiarity with the players will cancel out the “honeymoon factor”.

“It’s not as if they have got a new manager in and there will be a massive resurgence,” he said. “The players know him and what he is about.

“That said, there are definitely some interesting concepts we have got to manoeuvre this week, but the planning and detail we have gone to to get this game and the Southend one organised has been meticulous.”