ANY Bury players expecting a two-week holiday will be disappointed.

Andy Preece's team have no match this weekend after crashing out of the FA Cup at the first hurdle.

It means they are not back in action until Dec 15 when they visit Notts County.

But any ideas of "feet-up" time have been dashed by Preece, who has had his players working extra hard in training and has set up two practice matches this week against Oldham Athletic and Barnsley.

"This is definitely a welcome break just to get the lads fresh and it gives us the chance to get back on the training ground and sort out a few litle faults that are creeping in. We are just lacking a little bit of concentration and being a bit sloppy," said Preece.

"I want the players to know we've got an option here. We've worked our socks off to get ourselves out of the bottom four. Now which way do we want go? It's up to them.

"I want to make sure that when we come back we start again and start winning.

"I've told them do you want to throw all our hard work away over the last three or four games or do you want to see how far up the league we can get."

The Shakers had a magnificent November, winning three games against Cardiff, Northampton and Colchester.

It lifted Bury from rock bottom to out of the relegation zone, no mean feat considering the huge injury list at the club.

Now Preece wants to push on to mid-table safety and he hopes to drum that into the players during the break.

"I am looking at the teams above us, not below us, and I'm confident we can keep climbing the table," added Preece.