BURY RUFC...26, TARLETON RUFC...8: BURY started briskly enough, but were guilty of underestimating the opposition.

The visitors have emerged from being a junior side playing at youth level, followed by emergence through the league system to gain promotion from North Lancs 2.

Bury started briskly enough, but conceding weight in the front five it was obvious it would have to be a victory fashioned out off experience, skill, and technique rather than the brute force.

The wind was also a major factor, although the pitch was in excellent condition.

Bury had the wind in the first half, and a penalty after four minutes saw the home side take the lead.

A try was then added in the 8th minute with Robinson touching down from seven metres following a line-out.

But Bury were by no means having their own way, and Tarleton replied with a penalty kick in the 25th minute, followed by an unconverted try.

The game at the interval saw Bury enjoying a only a three-point lead and having to face the worst of the conditions.

The Tarleton stand-off then produced probably the most entertaining move of the match.

Catching the ball on his own 22, he covered 80 metres and looked certain to score a try, but for some unknown reason he decided to pass to a non-existent team-mate and the ball bobbled into touch.

Tarleton gradually became frustrated and committed a number of offences which the referee duly punished.

Bury took advantage and from a five metre scrum a clean strike by Kelly saw the pack relentlessly drive for the line.

But the Tarleton pack were unable to control the drive and one of their flankers broke and kicked the ball out of the scrum, resulting in a converted penalty try, followed two minutes later by a converted penalty.

Bury then rounded off a thoroughly professional performance when Ben McDermott carved through the defence, to feed Sammy Kelly, who scored an unconverted try.

BURY: Westwood, Kelly, Smyth, Kennedy, Lawton, McDermott, Robinson (c), Lancashire, Livesey, Chester, Fielding, Elliott, Kyle, McGarragh, Jones. Replacements: Smith (for Lancashire, 60) Roberts (for Westwood, 65).