Redrow Lancashire Amateur Cup

BURY GSOB...1

OLD BOLTONIANS...0

SPENCER Woods' early strike proved sufficient to carry Bury through to the last eight of the competition in this highly competitive game between these two local rivals.

After relatively comfortable ties against lower division opponents, Boltonians were always expected to provide stiffer opposition for the Old Boys, and so it proved.

The visitors forced Crompton into early action following raids down both flanks but it was the home side who took advantage of a defensive error to grab the vital goal after just seven minutes.

When Bury flung the ball forward to the edge of the box, the young Bolton keeper seemed reluctant to come and claim it and Woods took advantage of his hesitation.

The goal spurred on the Bury side, who began to cause problems down the wings through Watson and Riggs.

The two players almost engineered a second goal as Watson just failed to reach the winger's cross and then Riggs ended a mazy run with an angled drive as Bury continued to press.

There was no shortage of action in the midfield either, where Lord and Myers revelled in the fierce battle with their counterparts and Bury's back-line showed plenty of steel and determination, successfully denying any direct shots at Crompton's goal.

Bury opened the second half impressively when Riggs rolled the ball into Lord's path for a two-yard strike off the crossbar but Boltonians then put pressure on the home goal with a series of corners.

Timely headers from Watson and Bracegirdle again prevented direct threats to the goal and the visitors became increasingly frustrated that they couldn't break down the Bury defence.

Woods and Holt almost carved out another chance for a second goal but most of the action was played in midfield.

Crompton then turned aside a 30-yard free-kick with just five minutes remaining and he again saved his side in the dying seconds when he prevented a certain equaliser.

The victory now gives the Old Boys a home quarter-final tie against Bolton Ambassadors tomorrow, kick-off is 2.30pm.

Meanwhile, the second team's cup tie at Blackburn ended in disaster when the pre-match rain made the pitch unplayable and the two sides must now meet tomorrow in the re-arranged game.