BURY boss Andy Preece reckons his side are back on course for automatic promotion after Tuesday night's morale-boosting victory at rivals Cambridge United.

The Shakers chief was delighted witht the way his charges bounced back from a one-goal half time deficit to take all three points.

And he's hoping the club's previous away trip - a disappointing 3-2 defeat at Kidderminster Harriers - can be put down as nothing more than a blip, and he's called on his players to prove that point.

It was a far more determined and gutsy display from the Shakers on Tuesday night and as Preece pointed out there were some harsh lessons to be learned after that defeat.

"It was a marked improvement from the Kidderminster game and we'd talked a lot about that performance over the past ten days," he explained.

"There were a few words said as I was far from happy with that display, but thankfully we have put it behind us.

"At times we have a tendency to lower our workrate but we stepped it up two or three notches on Tuesday night and it showed.

"The lads knew what I expected from them. I told them at half time not to worry and just keep working for each other and I would have no complaints at the final whistle.

"Once we upped the workrate - and we sustained it for the full 90 minutes - our ability shone through and I knew we'd go on to win the game.

"I can't see anyone complaining about us taking the three points, you have to battle and fight in this division and it isn't possible to play pretty football all the time."

But it could have gone horribly wrong in the first half when Shakers 'keeper Glyn Garner let in Tom Youngs for the opening goal after rashly racing out of his box.

The Cambridge man rounded Garner and fired into the empty net to give his side a half-time lead but Preece refused to castigate his custodian.

"Glyn held his hand up for the goal. There was no need for him to come out like he did," he added.

"But after his mistake he made a couple of great saves.

"Apart from that I though Cambridge created very little. It was a pretty complete performance from us and I felt we were very unlucky to go into the half time break 1-0 down."

There was no hiding Preece's delight at the two matchwinning goals from 17-year-old substitute David Nugent and newly-signed Colin Cramb.

"David did superbly when he came on and took his goal really well," he said.

"I am having to be patient with him and he finds it hard to play game after game so it's just a matter of picking and choosing games.

"As for 'Cramby', if anyone had any doubts about him - and I'm sure one or two did as he hasn't played a game for months after his injury - well there is your answer.

"There was practically a mass brawl of players on top of me when he got the winner.

"Colin appreciates the chance we have given him and he knows what I want to achieve.

"He wants to be a part of that and when he scored the winning goal as he did the joy was there for all to see."

With Oxford United and AFC Bournemouth both going down to defeat in midweek the Cambridge win was even more opportune and the boss poured lashed out at the doommongers who have suspected automatic promotion is a pipe dream.

"We just have show more consistency now we are back in third place," he added.

"Okay, we put in a bad performance against Kidderminster but since New Year we have won three, drawn one and lost one in the league.

"That form will take us straight up so anyone who has started to think doom and gloom can stop right now.

"One bad display isn't the end of the world. Arsenal and Man United have the odd bad game and you can't expect it to be perfect all the time.

"If we were to lose out on promotion it would be our own doing, we have to consolidate our position and put some clear space between us and the chasing pack."