BURY boss David Flitcroft has promised he and his players will not hide from the challenge as they bid to end a six-match winless run in tonight's second-round FA Cup replay at Luton.

The Shakers have only won two games away from home all season and have not registered a victory on their travels since beating lowly Carlisle 3-0 at Brunton Park on September 13.

The one-time League Two leaders threw away a golden chance to bring that sorry record to an end at struggling Oxford United on Saturday.

But after taking the lead with less than half-an-hour to play, Flitcroft’s side conceded twice in the closing stages, including a 90th-minute winner.

The Bury boss is adamant, however, that he and his players will find a solution to their current problems.

“I have been brought up that once you have fallen off something you get back up to fight again,” said the 40-year-old manager.

“We will not be hiding anywhere - these players and my staff will not become victims overnight.

“We are just in a bad run of form and it is up to me as the manager to put that right and get this group of players and my staff up for the next challenge.”

Luton themselves go into tonight's game on the back of a damaging away defeat after John Still’s side lost 3-0 at Morecambe on Saturday to drop out of the automatic promotion places.

The two sides look to be closely matched after battling out two 1-1 draws already this campaign, at Kenilworth Road earlier in the League Two season and at the JD Stadium in the initial second-round tie.

Bury bossed that game but, after goalkeeper Rob Lainton had gifted the visitors with an opener following a terrible mistake, it took a stoppage-time equaliser from Danny Nardiello to keep the tie alive.

Flitcroft, however, believes his players can take great heart from those earlier encounters as they bid to set up a third-round trip to either Mansfield or Cambridge United.

“We performed well the other week against Luton, so we will take encouragement from that into the game,” he said.

“We won’t mention the word FA Cup – it is just another game that we have got to plan for and prepare for.

“We have got to go into battle, so I will pick the players that I believe are ready for that. Some after Saturday might not be, they might not want to get right back out there.

“I will ask those players whether they are ready to go into battle because that is what we will have at Luton.”

Pablo Mills, who has been struggling with a groin strain, is expected to return to replace cup-tied loan defender Adam El-Abd after being rested on Saturday.

And either Chris Hussey, Nicky Adams or Kelvin Etuhu are likely to return for Rob Milsom, who has not been given permission to play in the cup by parent club Rotherham.

Flitcroft also looks likely to keep faith with Shwan Jalal in goal after he replaced Lainton in between the sticks at Oxford following the former Bolton Wanderers stopper’s mistake in the tie at the JD Stadium.

“Shwan’s professionalism has been excellent and I just felt after Rob’s mistake last week that once he starts ruminating in the game that it could affect his performance,” said Flitcroft, only a few weeks after saying he would be prepared to let Jalal leave the club following an unsuccessful summer move to Bury.

“Shwan has come in out of the cold and done nothing wrong for the goals,” he added.