By Pete Oliver

Casper has seen Bury's season transform in recent weeks

The power of positive thinking is helping to drive Bury up the League Two table and to within sight of Wembley.

After a poor start to the season, Shakers boss Chris Casper enlisted the help of old school friend Dave Horrocks.

And since the sports psychologist brought his mind games to Gigg Lane, Bury have not looked back.

Having won just one of their first eight games, Bury have now lost only one of their last 12 to reach a top ten league place, the area semi-finals of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy and the second round of the FA Cup.

"Dave came down to give it a look. He is not full-time but he is helping out at times when we need him.

"He works on the mental and visionary side of things and it's all gone together to be part of a winning formula," Casper told BBC Sport.

It's been a massive team effort Chris Casper

"I have a winning belief and positiveness in abundance but when it's set down in a way that Dave does it, it's great.

"I believe in it. It's working well at the moment and I'm happy with that. Horrocks' role is an informal one and he only works one-on-one with players if they want it.

"But he is there to observe and chat and then presents his motivational ideas in an unobtrusive way.

"He does a lot of work with the lads, without them really noticing it," Casper added.

"He does things like positive pictures and videos which they sit and watch. There are no big talks and drumming into them. It's more of a sub-conscious thing."

At just 32, Casper is obviously receptive to fresh ideas, although more orthodox footballing coaching also forms part of his approach to total preparation.

And as well as the input of Horrocks, Casper admits that the addition of Chris Brass to his senior coaching staff has also been key to Bury's upturn in fortunes.

We have proved over the last week that we can beat any team Chris Casper

The former Burnley and Shakers defender, 32, heads up the club's centre of excellence but since the end of September has worked with the first-team.

With half a dozen decent summer signings, recruited with the help of director of football Keith Alexander, also bedding in, things have fallen sweetly into place.

Casper said: "For financial reasons or whatever, in the past we have blooded youngsters sometimes a bit earlier than we would have wanted to have done.

"They have come through fine but now we have got a good core of experienced players as well.

"We have proved over the last week that we can beat any team. The lads have proved a few things to themselves and fair play to them. It's been a massive team effort."

I have a winning belief and positiveness in abundance Chris Casper

As well as getting the better of promotion hopefuls Peterborough, Bury also earned a famous win at Leeds United in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy to reach the last four in the northern section of the competition and maintain an interest on several fronts.

"It's a good distraction for us. It's there waiting for us after Christmas," Casper added.

"We have got a good semi-final with Morecambe and if we get through that it would be financially rewarding to have a final and a then a big game at Wembley. That would be a massive occasion and that's got to be the aim.

"It's a welcome distraction from the league, which is very competitive and very open. We have beaten two of the top three teams so we know what we are capable of."

Fulfilling that capability is the aim and Casper will take nothing for granted. Last season's experiences provide a salutary lesson for anyone at Gigg Lane thinking of getting ahead of themselves.

Bury took time to recover from the sale of Mattis to Barnsley

Sitting ninth at Christmas, Bury won only three games in the second half of the season to finish 21st in the table.

The January sale of midfielder Dwayne Mattis to Barnsley hit Bury hard and Casper, whose squad looks far better equipped to stay the course this time, will not allow a repeat if bigger clubs come calling for any of his players again.

"If that eventuality does come along that we have to sell a player we have to make sure we have someone ready to come in," he said.

"If there was a correct offer the club would listen to it. But we have gone past the situation of selling players cheaply and clubs taking our best players for nothing.

"That won't be the case. It would be for the right price and the price would be high."