BURY 12, THORNTON CLEVELEYS 10: The fact that the game took place at all is a tribute to the ground staff.

A bitingly cold wind gave little advantage to either side, but chilled fingers and greasy conditions were never going to make for a handling game.

If anything, the conditions suited the visitors, who prefer to play essentially nine-man rugby.

They like to move the ball in front of the pack at every opportunity and do what they are best at, scruming, rucking and mauling.

The first 10 minutes saw sustained pressure applied in the Bury 22 by the visiting pack, rewarded by a try which went unconverted.

The home side eventually worked themselves into the opposition half but wasted three good opportunities to score: once from a tap-penalty, which should have been kicked to touch; and two attempted chip kicks which went dead on the full, giving the visitors the put-in at the line.

Right wing John Johnson, having received the ball from a poor clearance kick, made fully 35 metres down the right wing.

But having crossed the gain line, the match official inexplicably blew for an obstruction that took place in the centre, to give Bury the put-in at the resulting scrum, rather then having either awarded a penalty, or allowed the advantage to take place.

Bury were unlucky with eight minutes remaining of the half, when full-back Paul McGarraghy, having made a 40 metre break, fed lock forward Martin Kennedy, backing up who was brought down 15 metres from the line, only but to be penalised for not releasing the ball after the tackle.

Justice was seen to be done , however, five minutes later when following a quick tap penalty, prop-forward John Westwood incensed by the previous decision burst through the opposition pack to score a fine try in the corner, unconverted.

With honours even at the interval and the wind starting to abate, Bury turned around expecting to rack up points in the second period.

A slick move from 20 metres out saw wing three-quarter Mark Fielding cross for a try, easily converted by stand-off Ian Webb.

Thornton, seeing the game slipping away, rallied in the last 10 minutes, and were rewarded with a scrum five metres out, the ball shipped quickly to the right wing who scored in the corner, the conversion was missed..

Three minutes into time added on, the visitors were given a kick 30 metres from the posts.

In the kick's last 10 metres of flight the wind sprang up and moved the ball towards its target, only to hit the upright and then crossbar and rebounded infield.

BURY: Roberts Kelly Westwood Kennedy Hargreaves Robinson Lancashire Smithson Coburn Webb Johnson Chester McDermott Fielding McGarraghy. It Replacements: Jones for Lancashire(67).

MIKE JONES