SATURDAY'S hammering could be the kick up the backside the Shakers need, according to Andy Preece.

The boss was "bitterly disappointed" with the 4-1 drubbbing at the hands of Wrexham but he said heads would not go down and the team would bounce back.

Preece blamed poor defending throughout the team for the result but admitted he was also impressed with the Welshmen, who played superbly.

"Maybe we got ahead of ourselves after Cambridge," conceded Preece. "I said to the players after the game that this is a wake-up call. It is probably a kick up the backside we needed. We've got to get our heads up because Saturday was not acceptable.

"Two goals in 17 minutes is not how you want to start the game. They punished us and I'm bitterly disappointed with the way we played. We defended poorly as a unit throughout the team and that's what cost us.

"We struggled with the movement and we didn't get to grips with them and they played well. We've got to make sure we bounce back.

"4-1 is a hammering but we won't let our heads go down. We've got to put it in perspective. Three out of six points isn't bad."

Skipper Nick Daws was also upset and put it down to a one-off performance.

Daws said the team would come back stronger for tonight's Worthington Cup clash at Crewe.

"I just don't think we got started against Wrexham," said the captain. "We didn't get Adrian Littlejohn into the game enough and we didn't give him the ball enough to allow him to do the same as the Wrexham forwards which was disappointing.

"The mood in the dressing room was obviously one of disappointmentbut we still fear nobody and we are still as confident as anyone.

"We have had a result which is a blip but perhaps it is a one off. There is no reason to think we will don this each week. At Cambridge we showed what we can do and we have to forget results like this and concentrate on the next game.

"Crewe will be a tough because they are quality but we have to get tight to them and get them moaning.

"It is not vital for us to go there and win but from a confidence point of view it is important for us to get back to the sort of performance we've been doing. Hopefully we can keep it tight and maybe snatch one and bring them back here."

One man looking forward to the clash is Bury right-back Lee Unsworth. He was released by Crewe during the summer after spending six years at the club and he still has a lot of friends there.

"They are a good team but we have a good group of lads here and we will get it together in training and bounce back," he said.

"It will be a special game for me because I know the lads at Crewe very well. We need to get to grips with players like Rodney Jack and stop them playing.

"You never know who we will draw if we get through this round. We could draw one of the Premiership big six and a club like this needs the money."