“WE HAVE taken it into the last week and you just don’t know what will happen,” says Bury Town boss Richard Wilkins of the club’s chances of reaching the Ryman League play-offs.

Bury, who entertain Margate this afternoon, sit tenth in the Premier Division – five places and five points adrift of the final play-off spot with just three matches remaining.

Wilkins admitted Tuesday night’s battling 1-1 draw at home to Lowestoft Town had done little for their play-off aspirations.

He said: “It was a game of two halves, if I am totally honest.

“We should have made more of our chances in the first-half. Andy Reynolds made a great double save, Warren Whitely should have scored and John Sands should have done better with a couple of chances. We got the ball wide and Warren Whitely and Jordan Patrick caused them problems.

“But when you are only 1-0 up you know they are going to come out in the second half give it a real go and Marcus Garnham had to make two or three great saves.

“Saturday’s game at Whitehawk was played on a real mud bath – I have never seen so much mud. My missus washed the kit – I think she had to wash the shirts four times, the shorts twice and the socks twice – and in the second-half against Lowestoft we looked tired.

“I thought the penalty we conceded was a soft one, but there you go. I was disappointed because I thought we defended so well and Marcus Garnham deserved to be on the winning team after making those saves.”

Bury drew 2-2 at champions-elect Whitehawk after a goalless draw at home to Wealdstone, who they then defeated 3-2 away just three days later.

Wilkins said: “We have now played the top three – Wealdstone, twice, Whitehawk and Lowestoft – in our last four games and we are unbeaten but have only picked up six points and we deserved more, although I can’t grumble about a point against Lowestoft because that is what we both deserved.

“I felt we needed 10 or 12 points from our last four games to squeeze into the play-offs, but you never know.

“We have shown a lot of character recently, after we had a poor seven or eight-game spell earlier on when we were down to the bare bones and the squad was not strong enough to cope.

“We now have three games to go, starting with Margate who will feel they are out of the running for the play-offs.

“We have taken it into the last week and you just don’t know what will happen.”