A long memory is needed to recall when Canterbury last produced a seven match winning run.

They may have left it late to add the final touches to this victory but the city side’s roll shows no sign of flagging.

Two tries in the final ten minutes took them clear of a combative Bury outfit with Guy Hilton’s touchdown from the last play of the game earning a bonus point.

It was no easy success, particularly as Canterbury played twenty minutes of the second half a man short after both Max Cantwell and Dan Smart spent time in the sin bin.

Their confidence and resilience, however, is high and they survived the reductions in the ranks at the cost of only one try.

An error strewn first half, in a sometimes irritable contest, ended all square at ten points apiece.  The city side opened promisingly, butchered an early chance but were often too hurried in their approach.

They could make nothing of a string of penalties conceded by Bury, apart from a Tom Best goal, and slow ball made much of their rugby look static.

In the 21st minute enough pace and width was finally injected into an attack and JJ Murray made the breach to put Hilton over for his first try, which Best converted.

Having played mostly on the back foot for the first half hour, Bury suddenly came into their own and levelled matters.  Pressure at a lineout and a quick tap penalty saw Ben Turner driven over. Liam McBride then added a penalty goal to his conversion with the last kick of the half.

That penalty also attracted a yellow card for Cantwell and Bury took advantage a minute after the restart. Close quarter driving and slick offloads allowed scrum half Pierre Peres to put his side into the lead for the first time.

Canterbury survived further damage by getting their tactical heads in the right place and producing a perfect response as Moss’s fine offload gave Murray the chance to score. Best converted to win back the lead but then came Smart’s sin-binning for a no arms tackle and more potential trouble.

Bury, however, could make nothing of it and Smart announced his return by scoring his eleventh try of the season from close range. Best converted  and a city side clearly in the  ascendancy went looking for a fourth, bonus point try.

They were helped by a yellow card for Bury lock Turner and a final sweeping attack saw Hilton come off his wing, slip into the line and spear through a gap to put the icing on Canterbury’s cake.

 

Canterbury: A.Moss, G.Hilton, J Murray (repl J.Jones), W.Farris, M.Beaumont, T.Best, D.Smart (repl O.Best), A.Cooper (repl J.Green), T.Rogers, S.Kenny, G.Edwards, T.Edwards, S.Rogers, H.MCormick-Houston, M.Cantwell

Picture supplied by Phillipa Hilton.