Bury Town visit VCD Athletic in a massive six-pointer down at the bottom of the Ryman Premier Division this afternoon.

The Suffolk side have lost their last seven league games, and travel to second-bottom VCD in danger of being cut adrift from the rest of the division.

Before kick-off today, the Blues sat five points short of 23rd-placed VCD, and eight points from safety.

Bury have also played more games than their relegation rivals, therefore doubling the importance of today’s result.

In the last two games, Bury have fallen victim of an injury-time winner against an Enfield side galloping up the league table, while also courageously losing 2-1 against Wingate & Finchley having played with 10 men for the majority of the game following Callum Bennett’s dismissal.

Recently-appointed assistant manager Christian Appleford, who has been in the dugout for the two narrow defeats, has seen plenty of reason to believe Bury can start turning their season around.

“I’ve been involved in two games so far and I’ve been impressed with what I’ve seen,” added Appleford.

“We’ve played two sides who are sitting between sixth and eighth, and we have deserved something from both of them.

“We deserved at least a point against Wingate with ten men, and deserved something again on Saturday.”

Appleford continued: “From what I’ve seen, everything has been really positive.

“I can’t fault anything I’ve seen so far, and everybody who is here wants to be here.

“Everyone is up for the fight and you don’t get much luck when you are down there, but I definitely think that we can get ourselves out of trouble.”

Appleford also therefore accepts that today’s game is a massive one in the grand scheme of things as a victory would see the Blues move within two points of today’s opponents, but a defeat would see their opponents lift themselves eight points clear of the Suffolk side, and with two games in hand.

“We’ll go there in a positive frame of mind with the right attitude, and I’m confident we’ll get the job done,” added Appleford, who was re-united with striker John Sands earlier this week following the talisman’s re-signing for the Suffolk club after a year away from Ram Meadow.

“This week might come a week too soon for John (the striker has been struggling with a rib injury as well as a double hernia that needs operating on), but he should give us a massive boost,” said Appleford.

“I worked with him at Mildenhall, and got on really well with him, helping him progress and get on track.

“Ben’s worked with him before as well, and his re-arrival can only be a good thing for the club.”

Someone who has also returned to Bury in the last seven days is goalkeeper Alex Archer.

The on-loan stopper temporarily returned to parent club AFC Sudbury to play in the Suffolk Premier Cup on Tuesday night, following Marcus Garnham’s ineligibility, but has since re-signed for Bury, and will line up for the Blues today.