POWERGEN INTERMEDIATE CUP First round

Bury...16 Ormskirk...5

THE road back to Ormskirk must, in the words of Lennon and McCartney, have seemed long and winding when you have been outplayed by a team assumed to be cannon fodder.

This, at least, was the summation of the Ormskirk coach when listening to his pre-match exhortations to his players which, with the expletives deleted, resembled those of a Viking leader urging his warriors, as if they needed it, to rape, sack, pillage and burn.

A period of sustained pressure by Bury was nearly rewarded after ten minutes, but Robinson narrowly missed the penalty. Scrum half Sam Kelly, five minutes later, just failed to gather a chip kick over the advancing cover with the line at his mercy.

What was obvious was that Bury were enjoying almost complete domination of the line out with lock forward Kennedy outstanding.

The set scrum similarly was a playground for the front five and what ball they could not take on the strike they won by either alignment, or simply driving the visitors off their own possession.

The home side saw its reward in the 25th minute with Robinson converting from 35 metres when Ormskirk were judged to have killed the ball.

In the remaining 15 minutes of the half, with the visitors pinned back on their own 22, Bury should have scored at least one if not two tries by persisting in playing the ball down the flanks rather than use the power of Fawcett and Botha in the centre.

Every game has a moment which contains a passage of play totally unexpected. This came when prop forward Dave Tattersall pulled the ball out of fresh air with Bury pinned on their own 22, burst upfield outstripping his own support to make 40 metres to clear the danger.

Whether he or the spectators were more surprised is questionable. To quote Andy Warhol, everyone enjoys 15 minutes of fame, and Tatts can dine out on this all season.

After the interval Bury were to lose stand off Mike Lawrence, who, already carrying a leg injury, was concussed. We all know that Martin Freschini has retired from first team rugby, but captain Westwood, noting his presence on the adjoining third team game, had nominated him as replacement, so he finished up in the centre with Botha taking over the out half duties.

This reorganisation saw Bury relax and Ormskirk, taking advantage of a penalty into the corner, against expectations won the line out and scored an unconverted try from the resulting maul.

Bury seemed to be running out of time, but with 20 minutes to play a penalty from Robinson from 27 metres to regain the lead started a succession of scores that were to kill Ormskirk off.

A scrum down on the Ormskirk 22 in front of the posts saw Kelly take the ball against the head which was whipped down the line and right wing Mark Fielding scored in the corner.

Bury rounded off an efficient, committed and competent display with a little gem of a try when left wing Rob Wardle chipped over the advancing opposition and club stalwart, lock forward Rick Roberts, backing up gathered and touched down for the try, sending Ormskirk back to Merseyside in deep dungeon.

The game was attended by the current Lancashire RFU President, Ted Whiteside, who it must be said was not PC by supporting Bury vociferously, but as Southport, to which he is affiliated, are neighbours of Ormskirk and with the strong ties that exist between his club and Bury, it was not surprising.

BURY: Smythe, Kelly, Tattersall, Roberts, Kennedy, Westwood, Smithson, Robinson, Jackson, Lawrence, Fielding, Botha, Fawcett, Wardle, McGarrity. Replacement: Freschini.

Tomorrow Bury entertain Fleetwood in the league (kick-off 3pm).