PRIME Minister Harold Wilson once said that "a week is a long time in politics". In terms of Bury it would appear to be so in rugby.

Having been comprehensively outplayed last week, against expectations, Bury showed local rivals Bolton that somewhere lurking in their collective subconscious, lies the ability to perform to their true potential.

The weather was beautifully autumnal and the pitch in pristine condition.

There was, however, quite a strong wind blowing diagonally over the pitch, and Bury decided to play against it in the first period.

They could have scored in the third minute with a penalty attempt from 30 metres. Unfortunately Webb missed.

Offered another opportunity after seven minutes, Bury kicked for line-out advantage and wasted the opportunity.

They were rewarded in the ninth minute with a 35-metre penalty which Webb this time converted.

After a period of indifferent play from both sides, Bolton were awarded a penalty in the 21st minute.

Bury thought incorrectly they would go for goal, they chose to go fast tap, moved the ball to left, flat-footed the defence and scored in the corner, very well converted.

Bolton then added to the score six minutes later, Bury not retiring quickly enough from the tap-penalty and the Bolton kicker converted from 30 metres.

After the debacle of last week, seven points in arrears, even with the wind now in their favour, only a supreme optimist would have given Bury much hope.

After only three minutes of the second period the visitors scored in the right corner, the Bolton kicker converting a difficult kick across the face of the wind to add the extra points. With a 14 point deficit the game looked for all intents and purposes over. However, two penalties in the 47th and 52nd minutes, from 30 and 25 metres respectively, were both converted by Webb and gave Bury some hope.

The home side finally realised that taking the opposition on in the front five was not going to work.

Unless there is some dramatic change in personnel Bury will always be conceding height and weight in the pack.

What they do have, however, is pace and a relolute determination in the three-quarter line.

The pack can deliver good quality ball, it is, however, not likely to come from set-pieces.

What they trade-off in weight they gain in pace and mobility, and having realised this, the balance started to swing in Burys favour.

Following good pressure down the right flank lock-forward Stefan Hargreaves stole the ball in the maul, made a good 10 metres and found prop Steve Butt in support outside him.

He in turn took the ball like a three-quarter, made a further ten metres and crashed over for a try.

With the margin now reduced to three points, and some 15 minutes remaining, Bury used their superior fitness to push the visitors onto the back foot.

Then, following a move involving at least ten players, left-wing Bob Rigby crossed the line and Webb converted. Inconceivably Bury were now in the lead.

A 35-metre Webb penalty saw them extend this, and in the dying moments of the match he added a try following an incisive break, converted by himself.

To say Bolton were stunned, would be to understate their reaction as the final whistle blew.

For instead of being clapped off by their hosts, they instead chose to hold a post-mortem on the pitch, although their management were quick to apologise.

BURY: Davies, Johnson, Leeming, Reidy, Rigby Webb, Boyd, Marshall, Sheppey, Butt, Hargreaves, Wardle, Robinson, Smithson, McDermott.

RFU North Lancs 1

P W D L F A Pts

Tarleton 2 2 0 0 60 3 4

Didsbury Toc H 2 2 0 0 46 15 4

Aldwinians 2 2 0 0 54 31 4

Littleborough 2 1 0 1 83 45 2

Thornton Cleveleys 2 1 0 1 64 36 2

Eccles 2 1 0 1 54 34 2

Old Bedians 2 1 0 1 29 17 2

Burnley 2 1 0 1 42 37 2

Bury 2 1 0 1 31 55 2

Bolton 2 0 0 2 31 58 0

Chorley 2 0 0 2 11 80 0

Colne & Nelson 2 0 0 2 6 100 0

MIKE JONES