LIAM MacDevitt believes a blend of experience and enthusiasm will help Bury AFC achieve their goal of winning promotion as the race for the title begins to hot up.

AFC are seven points clear at the top of NWCL First Division North but closest rivals Holker Old Boys have two games in hand.

Ahead of Saturday’s home clash with Garstang, MacDevitt believes the club’s senior players and exciting young prospects such as Abs Obasoto and Lewis Gilboy could prove to be the difference with just five games remaining.

“We have got a really good depth of experienced players and young players who still have got high aspirations,” he said. “I have said it quite a few times before, we have got players who have played much higher up and been involved in promotions and being involved in play-offs and that is invaluable experience towards the end of the season.

“But to be fair, the young players we have are also enthusiastic and just love the game so much that I don’t think that they are really fazed by the pressure, like Abs and Lewis for example.”

He added: “We have a really good relationship and they have got so much potential. If any of us can give them any advice on bits and bobs then we are all here to do that for them because they have got a really good chance of moving back up the pyramid, whether that is with us or with someone else.

“We have got a really good balance in the team of experienced players who can help the younger ones out which is a good thing with not long to go.”

* Bury AFC were beaten 2-1 at Campion in the first round of the NWCL First Division Cup on Wednesday night.

Daniel Keane and Ben Kendall gave the hosts a 2-0 lead at the break before Tom Greaves pulled one back with five minutes remaining.