HEATON MOOR RUFC...8 BURY RUFC...22

RFU North Lancs One

BURY started as they intend to continue and laid siege to the Moor try-line for the opening 10 minutes, with only indifferent refereeing denying them at least two scores.

It was then a cruel injustice that, having allowed the home side to get into the Bury half, they were awarded a penalty for handling on the floor by a Bury prop, easily converted from 20 metres.

With the referee's whistle dominating matters, Bury eventually drew level with a penalty kick from Ian Webb in extra time.

They then began to enjoy a stiff breeze blowing diagonally into the bottom left corner of the Moor half in the second half and took full advantage.

From the outset they dominated both in the set piece and in the three-quarter line, where they were considerably quicker than their opposite numbers.

After a couple of abortive efforts Livesey moved the ball to Webb and he released right wing Mark Fielding who left the Moor full-back for dead and cruised in for a converted try.

Immediately from the restart Bury surged back upfield and the outside centre shimmied over for another try, again converted which gave Bury a 14 point advantage and effectively ended the game as a contest.

Former captain John Westwood was substituted, with Sammy Kelly moving to prop and John Sheppey taking over hooking duties, and in the 68th minute he outpaced the two centres to score an unconverted try.

Bury should really have killed off the opposition but a combination of relaxing in the final minutes, and refereeing indifference allowed one of the Moor second row forwards to bullock over in the last minutes to give an air of respectability to the scoreline.

BURY: Westwood, Kelly, Smyth, Kennedy, Lawton, Hunt, Robinson (c), McDermott, Livesey, Webb, Kyle, McGarraghy, Chester, Fielding, Wardle. Replacements: Lancashire (for Hunt, 60), Sheppey (for Westwood, 64).

On Saturday Bury entertain Tarlton, newly promoted from North Lancs 2, to Radcliffe Road, kick-off 3pm.