HEATON MOOR...7pts BURY...10pts

LAST season Heaton Moor were not a force to be reckoned with and only narowly avioided relegation.

This term it is a different matter. Not having made any impact before Christmas, their New year form has been electrifying and Bury approached this re-arranged fixture knowing that they would not roll over and so it proved to be.

The home side has retained only some of last year's squad and key changes saw them bring in South Afdrican players at scrum half and full back coupled with at least five other changes in key positions has produced a side while not on a par with Bury in their front five, their open play was to be a major problem.

Bury spent the first quarter of the game in their own half and there was a time when they would have cracked, but not this season.

All that Moor could show for their efforts was a missed shot at goal and a potential try by their left wing snuffed out by No 8 Matt Fawcett with a tackle so ferocious that even the crowd winced.

The frustration of the home side was obvious, the sniping kicks from scrum half Glyn Smith feeding his wings Wardle and Stott backed up by centres Leeming and Webb.

Boyd at full back was immense, playing arguably out of position, it didn't seem to matter.

Bury were unlucky not to convert a penalty in the 30th minute, but Smith made amends for his miss five minutes later when he converted from 20 metres, Moore being penalised an additional ten metres for dissent.

With three minutes of normal time in the first half remaining, Bury were to score a try which even the diehard home supporters grudgingly admitted was special.

The initial break-out was by centre Ian Webb, feeding his partner Leeming, Boyd linking from full back flat-footed the defence, fed inside to flank forward Berbnard Robinson who scored next toi the posts. Smith easily converted.

To say the home side were rattled having conceded ten points in less than five minutes is an understatement. Stunned is nearer the truth and at the mid-match interval the exhortations of their coach and skipper were audible even to the spectators.

The second half pattern was a reversal of the first period with Bury pinning down the opposition inside their 22. Fawcett was unlucky, firstly to knock on when picking up from the base to go over. Secondly, when he put a foot in touch when breaking blind and only three metres out.

The front five marshalled by former skipper Whitehead saw props Smyth and Marshall with Kennedy and Smithson providing the drive from the second row reduce the Moor scrum to a shambles.

Unable to compete, they resorted to collapsing deliberately at every opportunity. A better quality referee should have elected to go none opposed for safetry reasons and awarded Bury the game points by default, but this potentially contentious decision needed a strength of character which this official lacked.

With the minutes ebbing away, Moor finally managed to establish a toehold in the Bury 22. Despite some magnificent defence, the player who was probably their best on display at open side flank bludgeoned over for a converted try to close the margin to three points with only three minutes remaining.

The Gods of rugby were on Bury's side when Moor missed an opportunity at goal from 30 metres and the stand off hit the upright with a drop goal attempt. Had these been converted they would have run out winners by one point.

BURY: Smyth, Whitehead, Marshall, Kennedy, Smithson, Westwood (c), Fawcett, Robinson, Smith, Loftus, Stott, Leeming, Webb, Wardle, Boyd.

Bury resume their league programme next Saturday April 6.