THE tension is rising at Gigg Lane as Bury's promotion charge heads into the final furlong at Macclesfield on Saturday writes Chris Hall.

And it will be reassuring for Shakers fans to know that manager Andy Preece is sharing their nail-biting excitement.

Most modern managers profess to be completely oblivious to the league table and unconcerned by any results not involving their team.

But Preece admits he has joined the Teletext twitchers, frequently checking the Third Division results and standings and considering every possible permutation of the season run-in.

"You can only really look after your own results but you still can't help looking at results elsewhere," he said.

"You can't help doing it. The table gets closer every time you look at it. You find yourself looking at it every five minutes but there's nothing you can do to change it.

Despite all the time spent pondering their predicament, Preece still admits he can not confidently set Bury a points target to guarantee automatic promotion.

"It's very difficult to set any targets because a lot of the teams around us are playing each other and we all keep dropping points against teams lower down the table," he said.

They will again have to fight without a string of first team players, who are currently occupying the treatment room.

Strikers Ian Lawson, ankle, and Gareth Seddon, back, remain out of action, while defender Matt Barrass will also need more time to recover from his knee injury.

Midfield battler Chris Billy will face a late fitness test on his knee but Preece was full of praise for his potential replacement, who ably deputised for him in last week's draw at leaders Hartlepool.

"I thought Martyn Forrest did really well," he said.

"He came back in after a long spell on the sidelines and showed a real hunger for the game. That's the best way to come back and push yourself forward.

"It's always tough when you've been out of the side for a while and taking on the league leaders away was a hard game to come back into.

"But you have to take your opportunities when they come along, with competition for places so strong."