Leiston manager Richard Wilkins believes his former club Bury Town can challenge for an immediate return to the Ryman Premier League with a little bit of Lady Luck.

Wilkins managed the Ram Meadow club for 14 years, leaving last year, and steered the Blues to three Suffolk Premier Cup successes, a Ryman League Cup win and the Southern League Division One Midlands title during his spell there.

The former Colchester United player returned to his former club on Tuesday and saw his current charges secure a 3-0 win in the Ryman League Cup, to maintain their unbeaten start to the season.

The game pitted together two teams with unbeaten records, Bury, who were relegated from the Ryman Premier last season, having started the season well with two wins and a draw from their first three games in Ryman North.

“It’s always difficult to know what teams are going to do in a season, after two or three games, but they have had a good start and that bodes well for their confidence,” he explained. “They can’t afford to have many injuries though, that goes for any team, and I think people have to be realistic (on Bury’s chances) as major changes have been made there in the last 18 months to two years.

“I would imagine the likes of Harlow and Sudbury have much bigger budgets and if Ben (Chenery, Bury manager) finishes in the top-10 this season that will be good and I am not saying that in a negative way.

“There has been a big overhaul there in recent times but with a bit of luck I think they could be heading in the direction of the play-offs.

“They scored five on the opening day of the season and I think they probably still have a couple of players out injured.”

Meanwhile, Wilkins reflected on his side’s victory at Ram Meadow on Tuesday and wasn’t entirely satisfied.

“We scored early and then I felt at times we tried to over-complicate things a bit, right from the goalkeeper to our frontman,” he added.

“It was a good workout though and had our reserves not played the following night, I may have played a few more fringe players.”