SENT off, pipped for promotion and half a dozen defeats. Yep, Andy Preece sure does not like Oxford.

And the Bury boss is determined to put one over on his bogey side this Saturday at Gigg Lane.

On a day when the Shakers will let kids into Gigg Lane for just £1, Preece hopes the extra vocal support will spur his team to a victory that could see them leap up the table.

But he's not keen on playing Oxford because he never seems to do well against them.

"It's happened all my career," moaned Preece. "They have been a bogey side for me since I've started playing and I can't remember ever beating them.

"When I was at Blackpool they pipped us for promotion, I've been sent off against them and they've beaten me loads of times. They are just one of those teams and hopefully we can put it right."

As well as breaking his own personal curse, Preece also wants victory for other reasons. Bury became the first team to lose to Oxford back in September and victory at Gigg would be sweet revenge for that day.

And picking up three points will not only ensure the Shakers are almost certainly safe from relegation but even allow them to make in-road's in climbing towards the top half of the table.

"It is such a tight league that if we get three points against Oxford we will jump right up," added the manager. "The table is split into three parts and I want to make sure that we are in the middle pack and even pushing the seven and eight teams at the top.

"It won't be an easy game because Oxford are a decent team who have bought a lot of players. They just can't seem to win though they rarely lose by more than the odd goal.

"It is a massive, massive game for us. We've got a lot of confidence from the wins over Peterborough and Walsall and we're looking forward to it."

Bury will certainly be without influential skipper Nick Daws and striker Adrian Littlejohn (both suspended) as well as Danny Swailes (bruised ankle), Chris Swailes (thigh) and long-term casualties Lee Unsworth and Matt Barrass. By Steve Canavan