Bury have beaten Morecambe, Brentford and Chesterfield, and drawn against Rochdale, but Knill said: "We've been here before.

"We start the season really well and it's promotion this and promotion that. But it's a long season and there are nine months to go.

"It's down to us to be playing like we have started come February and March. If we are, we'll be in with a chance."

But Knill does see signs that the good form can continue.

"We are going about things in the right way at the moment," he said. "It's important we have the right work ethic.

"You only have to look at our two wingers in the our match at Chesterfield – they probably put in more tackles than the midfielder players.

"All the players are pretty good with the ball but they're all getting better without the ball too."

Bury have captured an impressive haul of points – and Knill wants more of the same for the rest of the season.

"I would have certainly taken ten points at the start of the season," said Knill. "We're delighted and we think we can get better too.

"We're unbeaten in the league still and we've done that against some of the division's fancied teams away from home (Chesterfield and Rochdale).

"We have given the fans something to cheer about. We're a team that is tough to beat, and hopefully that continues.

"But it's only four games and we have to maintain this for the rest of the season. There is no point getting ten points in the first month if we don't get any points in September."

Knill will be hoping that former Chester City goalkeeper, Wayne Brown, can keep a clean sheet against the Blues.

Brown needs no introduction to City supporters after spending 10 years at the club and making more than 270 appearances before joining Hereford United in June 2006.

He was nicknamed 'Superman' by Hereford fans after helping the Bulls win promotion last season.

Paul Scott, Efetobore Sodje, Ben Futcher, and Dave Buchanan will link up in defence.

Huddersfield-born Scott joined Bury for the 2004/05 season after a successful trial at Gigg Lane.

He was initially offered a short-term contract which was extended to a full two-year deal and he is now one of the Shakers' longest serving players. He signed an extension to his contract last season and is Bury's club captain.

Scott was released from Huddersfield at the end of the 2003/04 season and was handed the captain's armband at Bury following the departure of Chris Casper.

Sodje arrived at Gigg Lane in February initially on loan from Gillingham, before signing a two-year contract as player-coach.

He began his league career at Macclesfield Town where he wrote himself into their record book by scoring the Silkmen's very first league goal.

He had spells at Luton Town, Crewe, and Huddersfield before joining the Shakers after missing three months of last season with a depressed cheekbone fracture.

Futcher, the son of Paul and nephew of Ron who both played for Chester, started his career at Oldham as a trainee and was loaned out to Stalybridge Celtic where he signed full time.

He joined Doncaster Rovers in 2002 but was only there three months before signing for Lincoln City where he spent the next three years.
Moves to Boston United, Grimsby Town, and Peterborough United followed before he joined Bury last year.

Buchanan completes the backline after progressing from the Shakers' youth system.

He joined Bury in 2003 and made his first team debut two years later.

He has played as a left back since Knill was appointed as manager.

Elliott Bennett, Stephen Dawson, Brian Barry-Murphy, and Michael Jones will link up in midfield.

Bennett is currently on loan from Wolves after progressing through the youth system at Molineux.

The fast, tricky and skillful winger had a loan move to Crewe Alexandra before joining Bury last season.

Cork-born Barry-Murphy signed for Bury in 2004 after being released by Sheffield Wednesday.

He started his career at Preston North End in 1999.

Birkenhead-born Jones was a product of the youth system at Tranmere Rovers.

Andy Bishop is expected to partner Andy Morrell in the Bury front line.
Bishop joined the Shakers at the end of the 2005/06 season from York City.

He started his career at Walsall before having loan spells at Kidderminster, Rochdale, and Yeovil.

Morrell scored 34 league goals in 45 games for Wrexham during the 2002-03 season.

He was signed by Coventry City where he scored nine goals in 19 starts in his first season.
Morrell signed for Blackpool in 2006 and finished the 2006-07 season as the club's top scorer with 20 goals in all competitions.

He joined Bury on the opening day of the new season on a two-year contract.