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Search forGrecians excited by Bury test
Saturday, October 11, 2008, 10:00
Today, with that particular dream realised, the Grecians head back to Gigg Lane for a league match only this time, the yardstick is to measure themselves against a Bury side riding high in Coca-Cola League Two and lying second in the standings.
"It's a good fixture for us," said manager Paul Tisdale ahead of today's trip north. "I think Bury have surprised a few people with their progress at the top of the league and it is going to be a good chance for us to test ourselves against one of the leading teams. We are looking forward to it and we know it is going to be a real challenge to us.
"They had a different manager then, both sides have changed somewhat and progressed and they were a team that was flirting with the relegation zone far too often for them. Now, they have started very well, I think they will be a different team with a different level of confidence than we possibly saw last year and we are a different team, although we have a lot of the same players, but I think we have shown real improvement since then.
"I think it's a stronger side than last year. That day, we played a 4-4-2 with Rob Edwards at left-back, but I think we are playing to our strengths more now and the team has evolved."
Gigg Lane has been something of a graveyard to City teams of years gone by though. Not since 1931 have the Grecians returned from Greater Manchester with a win, although they have only played 15 matches there since that success, which came in the FA Cup.
"It's a bit overdue," laughed Tisdale when told of the statistic. "I think our players have plenty of confidence going into the game and I think we have the right to go there and be confident. But it adds a little bit of purpose to the team talk. We have had a couple like that with Cambridge and Halifax in the past.
"I think players like being successful and being successful is achieving things your predecessors have failed to do. That's part of sport and a spur you can give yourself. I will certainly make a note of that though and let the players know! It is certainly nice to do things your predecessors failed to do and we will be giving it a shot."
Tisdale is expected to keep faith with the same XI that recorded impressive victories against Macclesfield Town (4-1) and Gillingham (3-0) in their last two league matches. Adam Stansfield has scored four of those seven goals, a welcome return for a player who merits his team selection through his incredible work ethic.
"The floodgates have opened for Adam, so hopefully they will continue," Tisdale added. "Richard Logan also scored last week as well. I have had numerous conversations over the last few weeks about Adam, but he is worth his weight in the side through his team play. When he gets the goals it is a bonus and to score four in the last two games, I am really pleased for him and I think his second goal last week was a display of how confident he has now become with the way he took that goal. He is doing very well and hopefully he can continue his run of scoring."
Bury also have a striker scoring goals in their ranks in the form of Andy Bishop. He is expected to start up front with Andy Morrell alongside him and Morrell is also a capable goalscorer at this level as 81 goals in 194 league starts will testify.
"He [Bishop] is a goalscorer and had a fruitful second half to the season last year, he scored a lot of goals," Tisdale said. "We were wary of him when we played against them in the FA Cup and the staff here were aware of him from his time at York.
"He has a very good strike partner in [Andy] Morrell and I think they will have a very good season as a pair. That's partly the reason they have gone to the top of the league."
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Matt Taylor and Danny Seaborne in action against Bury last year
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