BURY boss David Flitcroft has demanded a reaction from his players after they “switched off” in their first defeat of the season on Tuesday night.

The newly promoted Shakers go to Crewe tomorrow still searching for their opening win of the League One campaign following draws against Doncaster and Swindon and a 4-3 loss at home to Fleetwood in midweek.

Flitcroft’s side twice took the lead in the first half against the Cod Army but the manager admitted concern at the lack of concentration that cost them in defence.

“You have got to make sure that your concentration levels are at maximum for 93 minutes,” he said, after his players also let a two-goal lead slip in last Saturday’s game against Swindon.

“In League Two, at times you can maybe switch off and you don’t get punished. As you see in this league you get punished.

“There’s devilment in the players and a bit more incision and precision in their work so you get hurt and we have.

“Two goals against Swindon last Saturday and again on Tuesday – we have conceded six goals in two hours of play so that is a worry.

“We will find out what is causing us problems and we’ll deal with that.

“You can never have a switch-off night in football and we did have on Tuesday night.

“But the set-backs make you who you are and who you want to become.

“I want to see a rise, I want to see a performance and I want to see that in the build-up to the game.

“The Crewe game is one that we will look forward to and I will make sure the players are performing in the Bury shirt.”

The Shakers at least came through Tuesday night’s defeat with no new injuries after midfielders Danny Mayor and Kelvin Etuhu shrugged off problems to play the full 90 minutes.

They also continued to fire up front, with Leon Clarke scoring his fourth goal in as many games, while strike partner Tom Pope had two assists and young forward Danny Rose came off the bench to snatch a late consolation.

Flitcroft was happy with his side going forward but warned his players against sacrificing their possession-style of football now they have two big strikers to aim at.

“(Leon Clarke) could be sat quite easily on eight or nine goals, quite easily,” he said.

“The goals have fallen for him but he’s gone chasing them down, he goes looking for them.

“We also looked dangerous on the diagonal ball to Popey, Fleetwood couldn’t deal with that direct threat but second half, when they dropped deep, we were doing that too much.

“Almost every time Fleetwood dropped we were hitting it too direct.”