STEVEN Schumacher is confident Bury will be back to their promotion-chasing best on Saturday after a disappointing run of results.

The Shakers have not won in five matches but the most worrying aspect of last weekend’s 1-0 defeat at Accrington was their poor performance.

However, the captain is determined that there will be an upturn in fortunes, starting at home to Aldershot on Saturday.

“We were poor at Accrington from the first whistle to the last,” said the 26-year-old. “A few of the lads said they felt tired after playing three games in a week but we are not looking for excuses. We know we had a few weeks off over Christmas because of the weather.

“We all know we were not good enough and, apart from Cameron Belford, nobody could come away with very much credit.

“It is probably one of only two games this season (the other being the 3-0 defeat at Crewe) where we have not looked like getting something from it.

“But after that game at Crewe we got a good reaction and went on a nine-match unbeaten run. Let’s hope that happens again.”

Schumacher has sensed a determination within the camp to turn things around and is looking forward to ruining Dean Holdsworth’s first match in charge of Aldershot at the weekend.

“The lads have been in good spirits in training this week and there was a real intensity to things on Tuesday,” he said.

“Aldershot have got a new manager and they will be on a high with plenty to prove.

“But we will be going all out to get that crucial first goal and put some pressure on them.

“I don’t think we have got the results our performances have deserved at Gigg Lane this season so it would be nice to put that right.

“We want to put them on the back foot early on in the game and I think we will do well.”

Ryan Lowe has shaken off a dead leg to play against the Shots, but his strike partner Andy Bishop is still a couple of weeks away from a return to the starting line-up after complications in his recovery from tendonitis.

Meanwhile, Macclesfield are mourning the death of 29-year-old midfielder Richard Butcher, who scored one of their goals in the Silkmen’s 2-2 draw at Gigg Lane on January 1.