ANDY Welsh has called on his players to 'stand up and be counted' as they look to recover from back-to-back defeats.

The Shakers were beaten 3-2 at Charnock Richard in the FA Cup on Saturday before losing by the same scoreline at home to Kendal Town on Tuesday - throwing away leads on both occasions.

On Saturday, Bury led 2-0 thanks to goals from Connor Comber and Jack Tinning only for Charnock to turn the tie around, scoring a 96th minute to progress in the competition.

Against Kendal, Andrew Briggs twice put the Shakers ahead only for the Mintcakes to equalise on each occasion and net a winner with 20 minutes remaining.

Welsh is now looking for a reaction against new-promoted Cheadle Town at Gigg Lane this weekend.

"Cheadle will be a strong team that will have that promotion bounce from last season," Welsh told the club website. "So we've got two options, we've stand up and be counted and play the way that we want to play or we do what happened when we conceded the second goal and we just start launching the ball.

"Everything that we work on, we want to be a possession-based team we want to build through from the back...we need to be better on that side but of it."

Welsh is now looking for leaders in his squad to help Bury return to winning ways - and says some players may be taking out of the firing line.

"The first thing is, you want the reaction," he said. "Part of my mantra, and it always has been as a manager...where you lose one game you make sure you don't lose that second game in a row and we've done that.

"I'll always question myself before I question anyone. But we want leaders, there are some in that dressing room, they work hard they're probably lacking a bit of confidence and they need an arm round the shoulder (or) maybe come out the firing line and others need to step up to the plate."

While Welsh says is has been difficult getting a settled side, he admits Bury have to get the basics right or playing in front of big crowds at Gigg Lane will count for nothing.

"It is a tough period but one thing I do is stand up and be counted and and that's what we have to do now, we have to regroup.

"It’s a bit of an eye opener for some who haven't watched North West Counties Football because just because you've got three and half thousand here or four and a half or five and half, if we're not doing the basics right, we're not going to win games.

"But by the same token, you know there are a lot of good teams in this league that when they come here, it's a cup final.

"We've got to be better. We've got to have that mentality ourselves and that togetherness to go 'you ain't breeches us' and if you do you might get one but you ain't getting two or three because we can't accept that."