RYAN Lowe feels Bury’s promotion challenge is being powered by the winning

culture which has been established at the club.

Not only are the Shakers aiming for an immediate return to League One but they are one game from Wembley, having reached the Checkatrade Trophy semi-finals.

And Bury’s youth team are also getting in on the act, having won 2-0 at Championship club Preston last Friday to reach the FA Youth Cup quarter-finals for the first time since 1966.

Youth team manager Ryan Kidd and academy manager Mark Litherland train Bury’s youngsters alongside the senior squad at the club’s Carrington base and Lowe feels they are inspiring each other.

“Ryan and Mark have done a fantastic job – and the players as well,” said the Bury boss.

“We’ve got this thing about us now at Carrington with the youth team and the first team.

“We’ve got a winning mentality and it goes from the top of the club to the bottom – and back again. We want everyone to be winning, whether it’s the academy, the youth team, cup competitions or the first team. We want to be a club that’s winning games.

“Over the past – and I hate talking about the past – we haven’t been used to winning games. Now we are and we’ll stick with that because we’ve got a winning philosophy right through the club.”

Bury’s youth team were handed a quarter-final tie against Liverpool or Wigan while the club’s success has also gained national recognition.

Lowe and forward Jay O’Shea have won League Two’s manager and player of the month awards for the second time in three months.

O’Shea then scored twice in Saturday’s win at Morecambe to move to 14 goals for the season – a career-best tally – and ensure the Shakers visit eighth-placed Exeter this Saturday on the back of a 10-match unbeaten run.

“These awards are nice but what we set out at the start of the season was to get promoted,” said the 30-year-old Irishman.

“These will mean nothing if we don’t go up. Hopefully we can all hit the main goal together.”