RFU North Lancashire One

BOLTON...0

BURY...3

A GAME for the purists, considering the conditions it was unrealistic to expect great passages of three-quarter play, when you're hands are freezing and you have not had a pass for the previous ten minutes.

The winter sun in a gin clear sky might have looked great from behind glass, but stood at pitch side with a 20 mph wind blowing crossfield, even with surprisingly good conditions under foot the margin was always going to be small.

There is an old adage which says that the first person you should select on any rugby is your place-kicker.

One only has to remember the conclusion of the recent World Cup to be reminded of this, without Jonny Wilkinson, England might not have emerged victorious, and at a lower level had Bury not had the services of Glyn Smith the same could be said.

The first 20 minutes was stultifyingly mind numbing, suffice it to say that play did not progress into either side's 22, neither side could stamp their authority on the game and it was being played in no-man's land.

Bolton egged on by their vociferous supporters were rewarded with a shot at goal in the 30th minute from some 40 metres, head on to the posts, but the effort dropped woefully short.

Bury made their first incursion into the Bolton 22 after 34 minutes, but were to lose the resultant line-out and the driven back into their own half, with Bolton's best player at full-back punishing the mistake.

It is perhaps ironic that the same player not having missed a single catch or line kick for the whole of the game, would later figure in their demise.

Bury quickly regrouped and for their efforts were rewarded with a kick from 30 metres which Glynn Smith converted, it has to be said clearing the crossbar by inches.

Skipper John Westwood had chosen not to start but came on as a replacement for David Tattersall at prop, though not adding anything to the set scrum, his broken field play drives on others by sheer example.

With three minutes of extra time played Bolton were again given a shot at goal from the identical position of their earlier miss, and even a change in kicker still saw no return. Bury went into the interval three points to the good, not a decisive margin,but would prove to be sufficient.

The restart saw Iain Webb return after a three-month absence following serious injury, he was to replace Mike Livesey at stand-off, no reflection on his performance but he is a specialist scrum half, and the game needed the more physical dimension that Webb offers.

This was apparent after 10 minutes when breaking down the short side he released his centres and Mark Fielding at right wing was unlucky not to score in the corner, tackled by Bolton's excellent full-back.

Looking at the various aspects of the two teams performance it is fair to say that Bolton's set scrum was superior to the visitors, but in all other departments, particularly defence in the three-quarter line Bury were streets ahead of the home side. The Bolton spectators would not agree, but a critical analysis, would give Bury the edge.

The writer is not noted for his charitable attitude to match officials, but Saturday's referee was in the top drawer, as a relatively young man, having played senior rugby at Leigh RUFC until 2001 season, he had a good knowledge of the laws, fitness, and empathy with the players, not it has to be said with the locals, whose criticism was both vocal and disgraceful.

The match turned on two simple reasons, offered two shots at goal from 30 metres head-on to the posts, with yet another kicker, the seemingly immaculate full-back maybe superb from hand, but from dead-ball positions he is lacking, he had the opportunity to both firstly draw level and secondly to have put Bolton ahead, but when it came to crunch he was lacking.

Prop-forward Jason Smythe replaced Mike Holland for the last 15 minutes, similarly to Webb returning after a long absence hopefully, on a full-time basis.

A win is a win, and Bury were happy to except the points and continue on their quest for possible promotion.

TEAM: Holland Sheppey Tattersall Kennedy Smithson Robinson McDermott Kelly Smith Livesey McGarraghy Elliott Chester Fielding McDougal. Replacements: Westwood for Tattersall (36) Webb for Livesey (40) Smythe for Holland (65).

Tomorrow Bury entertain Burnley at the Radcliffe Road ground kick-off 2.30 pm. The last encounter was a close run thing and Bury must achieve a result to keep their momentum going.