Burton Vets played hosts to Longton 3rd XV on Peel Croft and despite scoring four tries could not match the youth and fitness levels of their opponents, who scored double that number to win the game. With some of their older, heavier and more experienced players, like Colin Wood, Dave Watmough and Chris Samways, returning to the fold Burton’s forwards dominated all the early exchanges with some powerful rolling mauls and surging bursts. From one such surge Huw Davies broke blind and rounded his man to score under the posts and convert his own try to give Burton a 7-0 lead. But the visitors hit back with two quick scores following a period of poor tackling by Burton. With half-time approaching the Burton forwards again surged forward and good quick ball saw Ian Pullen take an inside pass from Andy Betteridge to race over for a try to re-establish Burton’s lead. But this was short lived as Longton scored another just on the break to go 12-17 in the lead.

Burton again started the better of the two sides with more forward dominance the Burton backs soon exposed flaws in the visitors defence as both Davies and Pullen ran in to complete their brace of tries for the day. With Davies converting both of these Burton had a solid 26-17 lead but the opposition youth began to tell. Despite the Burton team giving their all they could not stop their fitter opposition from adding five tries to take their tally to 48 and run out comfortable winners of this well contested match.