DEFIANT Bury skipper Chris Lucketti has warned the football world - 'Don't write us off!'.

The inspirational defensive king pin believes his team will definitely be playing Division One football next season and has highlighted past Shakers success stories to back up his optimism.

As he prepares to lead his men into battle with the auld enemy tonight, the 27-year-old centre half said: "When the chips are down and nobody gives us a chance, we always seem to pull something special out of the bag.

"You only have to look back at the Manchester City game last season when we came away from Maine Road with a 1-0 win. Then we won at QPR on the final day of the season.

"All the time I have been at this club, we always produce it when people expect us to be down and out. We just need that bit of luck infront of goal.

"I speak for every player at Bury Football Club when I say we are 100 per cent convinced we are going to survive. There is no point carrying on if we don't believe that."

Clearly psyched-up for the final furlong of the Division One campaign - in which he will play in only two of the three relegation dogfights due to suspension - Lucketti makes no secret of his adrenalin rush ahead of tonight's showdown with Bolton.

He has been waiting for this day since the humiliating 4-0 thumping at the Reebok Stadium in November, which he admits was one of the lowest moments in his career.

And nobody is more determined to put the record straight come 7.45pm at Gigg Lane. "This is a game we have all been looking forward to," he said. "Losing 4-0 in a big derby match really hurt and every player involved that day has something to prove this time.

"This is a massive game for the club and, yes, revenge comes into it. It would be wrong to say we weren't talking about it, because we are.

"Every player is up for this one. Derby games are always big and the fact that we are playing at this stage of the season adds some extra spice to the occasion.

"Bolton need the points to stay in the play-off places, while we are at the other end of the table fighting for our lives."

Lucketti only has to think back to the Reebok changing rooms after last year's drubbing for his motivation.

"It was a real low for all the players," he added. "The result was a combination of two things - we had an off day and Bolton hit top form. That win started a great run of results for them.

"We owe them one and tonight is hopefully the night."

Lucketti was at his brilliant best in the goalless draw at Grimsby on Saturday and, whilst happy to take a point on a day when Oxford and Crewe were beaten, could not hide his disappointment at missing out on all three.

He said: "We went there looking for a win, but at least we got something. We seem to be getting ricochets which never fall kindly for us. But we are playing some decent stuff at times, which we have done a lot recently, and we have to take heart from that.

"We have carried on playing football and kept another clean sheet which is always pleasing for us defenders.

"That point moved us in the right direction and out of the bottom three. We have to make sure we stay out of the relegation zone now. We have three games to do it."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.