BURY Town boss Richard Wilkins admits to feeling “frustrated” by his team’s yo-yo displays so far this season.

The Ryman League Premier Division side have been consistently inconsistent in the first half of the season, and have missed chances to enter the festive period in the play-off places.

Wilkins is preparing his Bury team, who occupy eighth place, for three “massive games” as they travel to Suffolk rivals Lowestoft Town on Boxing Day (kick-off 3pm) and then seventh-placed Hendon next Saturday. They then face current leaders Billericay at Ram Meadow on January 2.

Bury impressed in beating Canvey Island 2-0 at home last Saturday, before losing 3-2 after trailing 3-0 inside the opening half an hour at Wingate & Finchley on Tuesday night.

“Our season so far has been frustrating and is summed up by the last two games. We produced one of our best performances throughout the team against Canvey and could have scored four or five.

“The first half at Wingate & Finchley on Tuesday was the worst we have played this season. It looked as though the eleven players that walked out on to the pitch didn’t know each other, and yet in the second half we were a completely different team and absolutely battered them and deserved at least a point from the game.

“How can a team change so quickly in the course of the same match?” asked Wilkins.

Wilkins’ frustration has been made worse by the fact that Bury have lost games against sides just below them in the league by the odd goal, and as a result sit five points adrift of the play-off places.

Bury’s cause has not been helped by the fact that experienced midfielders James Scowcroft (groin) and Neil Andrews (knee) have not played at all this season, added to which Wayne Brown suffered a nasty calf pull after playing just two games and has not appeared since.

Scowcroft has remained involved by taking some coaching sessions, and Wilkins admitted it was 50/50 whether he would play at all this season while he did not know if, and when, Andrews may return. Brown has just become a father for the first time and Wilkins said he was thinking about what he wants to do in the future.

Wilkins, who has injury concerns over Elliot Hunter, Sam Nunn and Kieran Leabon ahead of the Boxing Day match at Crown Meadow, said: “We played Lowestoft four times last year (twice in the league and twice in the play-offs) and there was not a lot in any of the games. They will be up for it and so will we, and hopefully we can come away with the three points.”