MOTIVATION is a crucial commodity in competitive sport and Graham Barrow believes his players should have it in abundance at Carlisle United.

The Bury manager is still stinging after the Football League's bottom club picked up three points at Gigg Lane on Boxing Day and he and his team are out for some retribution.

That galling result came in the midst of an eight-game losing sequence that plunged the Shakers into the brink of the relegation dogfight.

But it was the manner of the 3-1 reverse that has stuck in the craw of everyone connected with the club as former boss Andy Preece, relieved of his duties only days earlier, stepped straight into the Cumbrians first team and turned the game by setting up two second half goals.

Barrow, who described the results at the time as a "nightmare," felt the club looked something of a laughing stock at the time given that there was supposed to be an agreement that Preece did not play in any of Carlisle's upcoming games against the Shakers.

History tells us that he did play however, and it took a subsequent out-of-court settlement of £2,000 to sweeten the bitter pill.

There's been something of a mini-revival for the Cumbrians since and the 13 point gap to third-from-bottom club Southend on Boxing Day has now been reduced to only eight.

But the Shakers too are enjoying better days especially since Barrow was allowed to bolster the side by bringing in Stockport County pairing Jon Daly and Dave Challinor.

The club have not lost since taking on Lincoln on January 3 and it is a run that the manager is desperately keen to continue.

Barrow will have to re-shuffle his defence for tomorrow's clash as Colin Woodthorpe starts the first of a two-game suspension.

Skipper Lee Duxbury is likely to drop back from midfield to fill the gap although youth teamer Jon Cartledge could also be added to the squad.

There's also likely to be a debut for Dave Flitcroft following his move from Macclesfield Town.

Barrow admitted the Rochdale player-of-the-year would have featured against Southend last weekend but for the postponement.