Finally a game of rugby!

"We've got 3 centres, someone must have an idea how to play 10" Jack Cormican drew the short straw and performed admirably.Bolton started the game the stronger on a wet heavy pitch.

The lack of games over recent weeks began to tell on both sides as they struggled to find their second wind. But Bolton's student contingent were relishing this. The support play was probably the best we've seen all season.

In Boltons's first spell of pressure on the Burnley line, John "debut" Gaskell stretched for the line to put the first points on the board. Captain Keith Howie added the conversion (we've found a place kicker). Straight from the restart Bolton pushed forward again. A knock-on at the back of the scrum from number 8 Mark "brummie" Higgins handed the advantage back to Burnley. But stout tackling by Bolton forwards soon resulted in turn-over ball and Bolton surged forwards again. This time James "wrecking ball" Gisborn forcing his way over the whitewash to score. Halfway thru the half and 2 clear tries ahead, a bit of complacency set in which allowed Burnley back into the game.

A couple of sloppy penalties put Burnley within 5 metres of the line, but good defence and crunch tackles led to turnover ball. Cormican ran it from under his own posts, supported by Higgins, then Howie, then James Long, only to be stopped on the half way line. From the next play the backs passed out to Sam "hangover" Chinn who weaved his way thru the defending backs to score near the posts. Howie again added the extras. Half time Burnley 0 Bolton 19.

Having moved to the recently vacated 1st team pitch at half-time, Bolton were relishing the flatter, better pitch. But Burnley upped their game and Bolton never showed as much fluency as they had in the first half. Eamonn McCartan was a terrier in the centre, chasing any and everyone all afternoon, Jack Cormican's confidence grew at stand-off, even throwing in a couple of dummy kicks to fool the opposition and Jack Dickinson tackled like a demon.

A couple of scoring opportunities came and went and it wasn't till late in the game that scrum-half Howie made a telling break down the blind side, ran round the winger, side stepped round the full back and was only caught 5m from the Burnley line. Bolton supporting players then secured the ball which was popped out to Dave "it's not my job to write the match report" O'Byrne to cannon ball over the line with 2 Burnley players hanging on. The last few minutes of the game saw the Gaskell brothers both playing at prop to make up Bolton's biggest front row for some time. And the Burnley scrum-half was introduced to the middle of next week after he attempted to dance round the Bolton forwards.