NORTH LANCS ONE

Bolton 6 Bury 8

IN this local league derby Bury were looking to reverse last year's result when they went down 5pts-6 at Bury.

The word derby is a bit of a misnomer as cordial arrangements have existed between the clubs for over a quarter of a century.

To reinforce this Bolton invited two past Presidents and the current club chairman, Chris Caloe, to a pre-match lunch for past players.

It was encouraging to learn that they had been successful in a lottery grant and are to extend the clubhouse both for changing facilities and the lounge and to have the third team pitch professionally drained.

Bury won the toss and chose to play with the conditions at their back. After seven minutes Bolton nearly scored under the posts, but determined tackling managed to keep them out.

They opened their account some five minutes later with an easy penalty conversion from 15 metres out when Bury were deemed to have killed the ball. Immediately after the restart Bury could have levelled the score from 37 metres and Glyn Smith restored to place kicker for the first time this season only marginally missed. He just looks ring rusty.

Bury kept up the pressure and had Bolton pinned in the right corner and when flank forward Robinson was foul tackled, took the kick to touch and from the line-out possession stand off Ian Webb sold the outside dummy and scored to the right of the posts for an unconverted try.

Bury continued to capitalise on the conditions, but could not cross the line, Bolton took the lead with a kick from 20 metres, but Bury replied in the last minute of normal time to lead by a two-point margin at the turn.

Bolton, after the restart were now playing with a brisk wind and Bury were staring into the bright autumnal sun and it would have taken a brave man to forecast the result.

A fair criticism of the Bury team and their style of play is not confined to this match alone. They seem to have abandoned the game plan which has served them so well in the last two seasons.

This is based on quick ball from the set plays, no delays at the rucks and mauls and moving the ball in hand to stretch the cover wide and exploit the pace of the wings to outflank defences. At best this has produced tries in abundance and at worst allowed the back row to recycle the second phase possession.

The play has become truncated, not expansive and entertaining, but could be easily revived as the players do not lack fitness or commitment, but some fine tuning is needed.

The second half saw Bolton take advantage of the conditions, but Bury were not going to give up the lead and defended stoutly.

One interesting captaincy decision by skipper John Westwood in the 70th minute was to elect to go for goal from nearly 40 metres out instead of taking the easier option of taking the kick to the line.

The answer is quite simple, Bolton only needed one score of any type to take the lead and potentially win the match. Had the kick been successful, the five-point margin would have been beyond the home side and the resultant 22 drop out gave the possession back to Bury anyway.

Bury made an enforced change when man of the match Andy Blenkharn had to withdraw and the reshuffle saw replacement scrum half Mike Livesey take over from Glyn Smith who moved to stand off, Ian Webb into the centre and moved the old warhorse Martin Freschini back to his old stall at No. 8.

It didn't materially affect the outcome and Bury ran out deserved winners.

At the end of the day there is an old saying in golf 'It's not how, but how many that counts'.

BURY: Smythe, Whitehead, Marshall, Smithson, Kennedy, Westwood (c), Robinson, Blenkharn, Smith, Webb, Stott, Freschini, Fawcett, Wardle, Boyd. Replacement: Livesey (for Blenkharn, 72 mins).

Bury have no game tomorrow with Eccles the visitors on Saturday October 20.