NORTH LANCS/CUMBRIA

Bury...23pts

Tyldesley...10pts

BURY have ridden roughshod over the emotions of their faithful this season on a roller-coaster of highs and lows, but at last a definite assessment of their potential in the league this season can be made, writes MIKE JONES.

Assuming they are able to field a settled team on a regular basis, mid-table or better should be Bury's reward at the end of the season.

Tyldesley are no mean opponents and following on the back of a heavy loss last week to Fleetwood, Tyldesley, if you believe their own publicity, were looking for an easy win.

They were, however, as Ormskirk previously were, sent back down the East Lancs suitably chastened.

Bury could have been three points down after only two minutes, but Tyldesley missed an easy penalty attempt. This lifted Bury and following a bad clearance kick from the visitors, the Tyldesley cover was sucked in after a succession of mauls and, from 20 metres out, the ball was shipped by fast hands down the line for right wing Mark Fielding to score an unconverted try in the corner.

Fielding had the line at his mercy following an approaching chip kick by stand off Andre Botha with the cover nowhere in sight, but the referee saw fit to give a place kick for a previous infringement some 20 metres further back, ignoring the advantage law.

From the resulting penalty flank forward Bernard Robinson kicked Bury to within five metres of the corner flag and when the lineout broke down, from the resulting scrum, Kelly took the ball against the head and No 8 forward Matt Fawcett picked up from the base, but was stopped one metre out.

Bury made amends five minutes later with a 30 metre penalty conversion from Robinson.

With only two minutes of the half remaining the visitors were awarded a penalty 20 metres out, head on to the posts. They declined the easy conversion and their crossfield passing attempt was killed by some resolute tackling by the Bury back row and threequarters.

After the interval with Bury eight points to the good and with the wind at their backs, they were looking up for it. They used the wind to create territorial advantage and Tyldesley must have sensed the game was slipping away from them.

Their hopes of rescuing the match were briefly raised with a penalty conversion from 28 metres when Bury were judged to have killed the ball in a ruck.

Botha was to start a purple patch for the home team with a 40-metre burst, scattering the defenders to left and right. Facing him must be like facing the approach of a stampeding trek ox, but he blotted his copybook by dropping the ball ten metres from the line and Tyldesley were able to clear to touch.

Hooker Sammy Kelly must hide a secret ambition to play in the threequarters. Caught in possession by the advancing Tyldesley defenders, a clever kick over their heads into the dead ball area saw Bury left wing Colin Wardle hounding his opposite number and was gifted the try when he failed to ground the ball and Wardle pounced for an unconverted try.

Two minutes later Bury were to score a classic set-piece move, the sort you practice, but rarely comes off.

Following a kick to touch from a penalty by Robinson, Kelly's long throw from the lineout some five metres out saw Robinson catch clean, pass to prop Jason Smyth coming round on the peel, dummies to crash through the tail, but passes to captain John Westwood to score just to the right of the posts which Robinson easily converted.

With a 17-point lead and only six minutes of normal time remaining, all credit to Tyldesley, who in a fine passing move covered 60 metres downfield to score under the posts a converted try.

Robinson added a further three points with a penalty in the dying moments of the game and Bury emerged worthy winners.

BURY: Smyth, Kelly, Shimmons, Roberts, Lawton, Westwood (c), Fawcett, Robinson, McDougall, Botha, C Wardle, McDermott, McDonagh, Fielding, R Wardle. Replacements: Smithson, McGarraghy.

This week Bury visit near neighbours Oldham (kick-off 3pm).