Bury chief backing new boys to shake things up
BURY manager Chris Lucketti is backing his new signings to do the business as the Shakers try to pull off the great escape and survive relegation.
Heading into today’s match at Plymouth Argyle, Bury are 11 points away from safety in League One – but have brought in Connor Ripley and Peter Clarke on loan over the past few days, and Lucketti is confident they’ll perform.
“Peter Clarke is up there with the best characters. I know his affiliation with the club from his previous time here. He’s a real man, he’s a leader and I’m delighted to have brought him here,” he said.
“Connor Ripley is a top-class goalkeeper and was exceptional during his loan spell with Oldham.
“He has a big future in the game and has come in to improve our squad.”
Anthony Gerrard will be without fellow defender Kean Bryan for OLDHAM ATHLETIC’s trip to Charlton Athletic today – but he is urging the Manchester City youngster to re-join the club.
Latics make the trip to the Valley hoping to end a run of five games without a win. That has seen them drop to 20th place, just one point above the League One relegation zone. It will be Oldham’s first game since the impressive loan trio of Bryan, Eoin Doyle and Jack Byrne returned to their parent clubs – but Richie Wellens is still hopeful of bringing them back to Boundary Park. Centre-back Gerrard established a good partnership with Bryan, and the 31-year-old wants to see him back at Latics to carry on the good work. He said: “Of course I want him back. Kean has been a fantastic signing for us and he found a settled position at left centre-half.
“Kean was like a Rolls Royce, he was brilliant on the ball and led the game fantastically well.
“He needed the physicality that he got after a few games, and he now has the gist of men’s football.”
ROCHDALE boss Keith Hill insists his team will have learned from their league match with Doncaster Rovers when they meet in the FA Cup today.
Dale face Doncaster at the Keepmoat Stadium in the third round of the competition, just one week after they were beaten 2-0, but Hill says his players will bounce back.
“You’ve got to dust yourself down and prepare yourself for every game. Every day is a preparation day and we’ve got to be positive going into the cup fixtures,” he said.
“We’ve got to learn from what happened in the early stages of the league game, and that game itself, which we will.”
Also in FA Cup action today are WIGAN ATHLETIC, as they head to Bournemouth, while BOLTON WANDERERS welcome Premier League Huddersfield Town.
Connor Ripley has a big future in the game and has come in to improve our squad Chris Lucketti