SHAKERS manager Andy Preece was delighted with Saturday's opening day victory at Cambridge but reckons his side have plenty more to show.

Preece's side triumphed 1-0 at the Abbey Stadium on Saturday to gain revenge for two miserable defeats against Roy McFarland's side last season.

But it was the result rather than the performance that was most important to the Bury boss.

"That was a good team performance defensively," said Preece. "People were getting blocks in all over the field and that's what you need, eleven players working hard for each other all over the park.

"I think we can play a lot better than that and we've got two or three gears to go up but if we can grind out results like we did on Saturday and keep creating chances we'll be okay.

"It was disappointing we didn't kill the game off - we had numerous chances to but to be fair we kept a clean sheet and Paddy Kenny only had two shots to save.

"The winning goal came from a routine we've worked on in training and it's always pleasing when they come off."

Shakers hero Paul Barnes who grabbed the only goal on Saturday reckons Bury's chances of success this season are excellent.

The much-travelled striker believes Andy Preece's squad is second to none and that the club have a superb chance of being in the promotion shake up at the end of the campaign.

"There's no doubt about it, if you look at our squad this year there isn't a better one in the division," he declared.

"We have experienced lads who have played at a high level and if we can start to get a good early run together then we have to be a force in this division.

"The people who were left out of the team on Saturday just accepted it and got on with it, they are good professionals and not moaners. The gaffer is keeping a happy ship."

Meanwhile, defender Matt Barrass laid low by a mystery virus is resuming light training and could make a first team comeback in a fortnight.

It was feared that the young full back may be suffering from glandular fever which would have kept him out for up to six months but medical tests seem to suggest it isn't that serious.

That is a relief for manager Preece who needs all his defenders fit and ready to step in when others get injured.

"Hopefully he will begin training by the end of this week and do some light workouts in the gym," said Preece.

"We will see how it goes from there. It's certainly too soon for him to feature in the Wrexham game because he hasn't trained since we returned from the Isle of Man but if things go to plan he may be ready for the Rotherham match at home in two weeks time.

"He seems to have been suffering from some sort of mystery bug which has left him feeling tired but fortunately it doesn't look like it's glandular fever."

The gaffer revealed that on-loan striker Dean Crowe didn't start in the 1-0 win at Cambridge because he was suffering from a slight groin strain. Homegrown midfielder Jason Jarrett was missing from the squad because he had gone over on his ankle in training prior to the opening fixture.

The team made it through the Cambridge game unscathed though Adrian Littlejohn picked up an achilles injury and missed training at the start of this week.