Crusaders 75 - 5 Bury St Edmunds lll

Crusaders kicked off their final league match mindful of their narrow defeat at Bury on the first day of the season.

Crusaders got off to a flying start having Bury under immediate pressure in their 22 forcing the visitors to concede a penalty under their posts. Crusaders opted for the line-out and following a powerful rolling maul Alex Widderington touched down for the first try, Rob Loone converted. From the restart Crusaders resumed the pressure on Bury's line with Henry Mower adding a second try following good handling between the forwards. The conversion was missed.

Bury reacted strongly from the restart and capitalised on Crusaders hesitation in defense forcing them to concede a penalty. From a visitors line-out on Crusaders line it took a mammoth effort to repel a determined drive from the Bury forwards. Crusaders finally cleared their line and released their backs in an effective counter attack which saw Jamie Dack in full flight up the wing to outflank the visitors defense and score try No. 3, Loone converted 19 - 0.

Crusaders were enjoying a good supply of ball and with the Crusaders half-backs Conan Hoey and Loone reveling in the conditions the Bury defense was stretched every which-way before Cullum Widderington's 2 trys and Greg Thurston's with a darting run from centre all converted by Loone pushed the score to 40-0 halftime.

Bury resumed the second half facing a heavy defeat but with some impressive defending they forced Crusaders into a number of handling errors and held the score level for the first 20 minutes of the 2nd half. Crusaders brought on fresh legs in Matt Atkins, Tim Lewenski and Peter Blinkhorn. Tim Lewenski crashed through under the posts following good work by the forwards. An impressive forward movement from Crusaders 22 taken on by Atkins, Cook and Mower was finished off under the posts by Blinkhorn. A second Jamie Dack try created when Hoey's bullet miss-pass split the Bury defense. Atkins and Cullum Widderington added further trys not before Bury had scored a well deserved consolation try touched down by their impressive young winger Roberts. Final score 75 - 5.