Up for the cup

A lot has happened to the two clubs since we last played a League Cup tie there, then they were a division above us and under the management of Neil Warnock, now they sit two divisions below us and that is good news given that two summers ago they almost went out of existence.

Manager Graham Barrow stepped in to replace Andy Preece in December last year. Preece had been in charge for four years having replace Neil Warnock in 1999 but was released for financial reasons.

Barrow has done some wheeling and dealing during the summer and has been able to bring some new players into the club. Midfielder Dwayne Mattis and striker Jon Newby were the first, both arriving from Huddersfield. For Newby it is a return having been with Bury for over two years until moving to Huddersfield a year earlier.

Long throw expert Dave Challinor was next, on a free transfer from Stockport and he was followed by Boston’s Graeme Jones and Brian Barry-Murphy from Sheffield Wednesday.

Since the start of the season they have signed a third player form Huddersfield in Paul Scott.

Their season got off to a winning start when they beat Yeovil 3-1 at Gigg Lane on the opening day of the season but they haven’t won since with two draws and a heavy defeat at Grimsby (we know all about them).

Barrow would have liked to have kept the side that drew against Chester on Saturday but he will have to do without Colin Woodthorpe who was sent off in that game for preventing a goalscoring opportunity.

With the new rules regarding suspensions he will miss tonight’s game and is likely to be replaced by either Lee Duxbury or John Cartledge with Cartledge the favourite.

They are expected to line up:

Glynn Garner, Paul Scott, Dave Challinor, John Cartledge, Lee Unsworth, Brian Barry-Murphy, David Flitcroft, Dwayne Mattis, Tom Kennedy, Dave Nugent, Chris Porter.

But who will be in the Burnley side? There have been suggestions that some of the younger players could be given a run out but manager Steve Cotterill will be fully aware that to experiment too much could just cost us a place in Round Two.

There’s no doubt that, no matter what choices he makes, we will select from the usual squad which is:

Danny Coyne, Michael Duff, Frank Sinclair, John McGreal, Mo Camara, Ian Moore, Richard Chaplow, Tony Grant, Micah Hyde, Graham Branch, Robbie Blake, Brian Jensen, Lee Roche, Matt O’Neill, Joel Pilkington, Ryan Townsend, Paul Scott.

Most of the links between the two clubs have now gone and only Graham Branch from either squad tonight will have played for both clubs.

A League Cup tie against Bury should, if history is anything to go by, guarantee goals. Back in 1982 we beat them 8-4 on aggregate, three years later they got revenge with a 6-5 aggregate win and then there was six years ago.

On that occasion we got a draw in the first leg at Gigg Lane courtesy of an Andy Cooke goal but it all went wrong in the second leg. We were 1-0 up at half time through Andy Payton but Bury scored four times in the second half, one from Gordon Armstrong, to take it 5-2 on aggregate.

The teams for that last meeting were:

Bury: Dean Kiely, Andy Woodward, Dean Barrick, Nick Daws, Chris Lucketti, Steve Redmond, Chris Swailes, Tony Ellis (Tony Rigby 66, Gordon Armstrong 71), Rob Matthews (Laurent D’Jaffo 74), Lenny Johnrose, Andy Preece. Subs not used: Kevin Blackwell, Mark Patterson.

Burnley: Tony Parks, Chris Brass, Steve Blatherwick, Lee Howey, Steve Morgan, Glen Little, Michael Williams (Neil Moore 45), Carl Smith, Paul Smith, Andy Cooke (Mark Robertson 84), Ronnie Jepson (Kevin Henderson 84). Subs not used: Craig Mawson, Colin Carr-Lawton.

Burnley: Tony Parks, Chris Brass, Steve Blatherwick, Lee Howey (Colin Carr-Lawton 37), Steve Morgan (Kevin Henderson 53), Glen Little, Paul Weller, Neil Moore, Paul Smith, Andy Payton, Ronnie Jepson (Mark Robertson 84). Subs not used: Craig Mawson, Michael Williams.

Bury: Dean Kiely, Andy Woodward, Dean Barrick, Nick Daws, Chris Lucketti, Steve Redmond, Chris Swailes, Mark Patterson (Gordon Armstrong 65), Laurent D’Jaffo (Rob Matthews 65), Lenny Johnrose, Andy Preece. Subs not used: Tony Ellis, John Foster, Nigel Jemson.