Canterbury hold on for narrow win

BURY St Edmunds were unable to grant outgoing coach Gavin Hogg a final home win as a resolute Canterbury did just enough to edge out this disappointing encounter.

Bury made a promising start with a try after just five minutes for the returning Liam McBride, but it was never really built on, with just a Donovan O’Grady penalty to add to things.

And Canterbury back rower Max Cantwell dragged his side back into the contest on the half hour as he was bundled over by his fellow forwards after flanker Hugh McCormick had cut through a gaping hole in the Bury defence – Tom Best’s conversion making it a one-point game at half time.

Bury thought they may have won the game when Will Affleck squeezed over in the corner on 67 minutes as the diminutive fly-half-cum-winger raced down the blind side after a solid Bury scrum on the visitors 22.

However, rather than cement the home win the crowd craved they made a hash of the re-start and gave Canterbury the chance to score from a resulting penalty.

Dan Smart burrowed over from the lineout, with Best’s superb touchline conversion giving the Pilgrims a narrow lead and that turned out to be enough as Bury pressed but could not hit back.