BURY'S under-fire boss Andy Preece is not about to throw in the towel despite the club's ninth consecutive defeat.

Shakers fans were calling for the manager's head after Tuesday night's 4-0 routing at Oldham Athletic.

The backlash arose after star striker Jon Newby was substituted for midfielder Martyn Forrest, a decision many of the frustrated travelling Bury contingent could not stomach.

The problem was the manager himself wasn't too pleased about it as his message from the stand to coach Andy Feeley in the dugout was to take off on-loan Leeds winger Harpal Singh instead.

"The fans weren't the only ones who didn't know what was going on because neither did I," explained Preece. "My messages was misinterpreted and that just summed up the night!

"But there is no way I will walk away from the job. I have put a lot of hard work in over the past eighteen months and sacrificed a lot of my playing career, I will work even harder.

"If the fans think I am letting them down then that is their opinion but it isn't for the lack of work."

Preece discovered this week that he will need an operation on his troublesome knee injury and is expected to go under the knife a week tomorrow.