MATCH REPORT: Bury St Edmunds can't hold back league leaders

NATIONAL LEAGUE TWO SOUTH: Bury St Edmunds 20 Chinnor 50

From the first to last whistle Bury St Edmunds had no answer to the power and quick-thinking of league leaders Chinnor at a bitterly cold Greene King IPA Haberden this afternoon.

On a day where the respect and emotional tributes to club legend Gerry Lowden warmed hearts pre-match, not even an emotional team-talk of 'do it for Gerry' by his friend Stewart Horne could help to make up the gulf in class on the pitch.

It took the Oxfordshire visitors only eight minutes to land their first try, through their instrumental no10 Basil Strang, who converted himself.

Despite a couple of Scott Lyle penalties - one from the half-way line sparking a big roar from the sidelines - Chinnor were never in danger of relinquish ing their lead on the scoreboard and had brought up the four-try bonus point by the 30 minute mark with Tom Burns touching down for the second time.

A Lyle try in the last action of the first half, converted from wide on the right from his boot, gave the hosts something to cling on to.

But Chinnor were not about to led their stsnfards slip, following a tricky spell since Christmas that has seen the chasing pack close in, and a fifth try arrived six minutes after the restart to stretch their lead out to 36-13.

Bury did claim a second try with a penalty try awarded in the left corner after a maul was illegally held up.

But despite that incident seeing Chinnor's Alex Bradley sin binned, the hosts could not get any closer on the scoreboard than the 16 points.

A sixth try followed for the league leaders just before the hour mark and the seventh and final try in the 71st minute, their own penalty try.

A fifth straight defeat leaves Bury in trouble down at the bottom but this match was always viewed as a 'free hit'. And the 20 points they put over the leaders will provide comfort they