BURY travel to runaway Third Division leaders Hartlepool United on Friday night knowing only a massive improvement will prevent them falling to a second defeat inside four days.

Tuesday night's miserable 1-0 home defeat at the hands of struggling Bristol Rovers may have failed to knock the Shakers off their lofty perch -- they are currently fourth in the table -- but there are a host of clubs below them casting an envious eye on their play-off berth.

Even 11th-placed York City are only three points behind the Shakers and a couple more bad results could catapult Andy Preece's side into mid-table.

With only 14 matches to the end of the campaign, Preece is desperate for his side to string together a run of results that will cement a top three place.

But inconsistency is threatening to hamper those hopes and the manager is prepared to shuffle the pack in an attempt to reach his goal.

"I just wonder when the penny is going to drop," he said.

"We are fourth, but could be in a comfortable position if we hadn't dropped so many home points.

"We were saying eight games ago that whoever puts in a good run will move into the top three, but no-one seems to want to do it.

"Two wins for second-placed Rushden in the last few days has given them some breathing space, it's very tight below us and we need some back-to-back victories."

Harlepool suffered a rare defeat themselves on Tuesday night when Lincoln City gave them a 3-0 spanking at Sincil Bank.

It's hard to see them fancying a repeat of that result tonight, so the Shakers will have to be at the top of their game to take something from Mike Newell's men.

That's not to say they aren't capable of bringing something back from the north east.

With victories at both second-placed Rushden & Diamonds and third-placed Bournemouth they seem to save their best displays for high-flying teams.

And it's that inconsistency that is frustrating the Bury management team, according to assistant manager Graham Barrow.

"After losing on Tuesday, Hartlepool will be well up for it," he said.

"When we played them earlier in the season we dominated the game and at that time I thought it was a yardstick of what we could achieve.

"We have let ourselves down in certain games, but there's no doubt we will be well prepared for tonight's match.

"Some of the players just need to look at themselves and ask what they want to achieve in the game.

"Nobody gives you anything in professional football and we should have learned that from last year.

"There is enough talent in our dressing room to achieve what we want to achieve, but some players need to take more responsibility."

In a bid to find that winning formula, the manager may decide to play himself up front.

And while he knows that decision won't be universally popular, he can point to a 12-game sequence before Christmas -- of which he started ten -- that yielded a creditable six wins, three draws and three defeats.

It may also be time for the re-introduction of 'forgotten man' Martyn Forrest who started the season as captain, but has been kicking his heels on the sidelines for a number of months.

"I know it wouldn't be 100 per cent popular with the fans if I played and we went more direct, but if I think that's what it needs I will do it," said Preece.

"Of course we want to entertain, but if the system isn't working what more can we do.

"I also think the lads need a talker and a leader on the field. Sometimes we are very quiet.

"You need someone who will hand out rollockings, pull people about and get them into shape, we don't really have anyone who does that for us."

Definitely missing are Matt Barrass (knee), Ian Lawson (ankle), Simon Whaley (knee) and Chris Billy, whose medial ligament knee injury picked up against Bristol on Tuesday could keep him out until the Macclesfield game a week on Saturday.

Danny Swailes has a slight hamstring strain, but should feature as should gutsy Jamie Stuart, who is expected to play despite picking up a broken nose in the same game.

For Stuart, it's a return to the ground where he made his debut for the Shakers in an LDV Vans first round tie last season.

A 1-0 victory -- courtesy of a Jon Newby golden goal -- saw the Shakers through against a Hartlepool side that were struggling in 91st place in the league.

The crucial goal ended a 12-game barren spell for the former Liverpool striker and a 12-game run of league and cup matches without a win.

What better time and place for a repeat result and scorer!