Astley & Tyldesley came out on top against local rivals Bury, in Sunday's thrilling Northern League match at Gin Pit. After a close start to the match, A & T recorded two successive heat wins, including a 7-2 from Remi Burchardt and Tomasz Szwajorek after Mike Hewitson was excluded when all three clashed on the pits bend, to lead by 6 points at the half way stage. Bury immediately hit back with a well worked 7-3 from John Whiting and Scott Jarman over Szwajorek and took a slender 1 point lead with just two races remaining. Bury's Hewitson hit the front in the last race, but a great ride by A & T captain Tomasz Wlodarczyk saw him reel in the Scottish international and pass him on the last lap to take the race win. Roy Heslop took 3rd place and A & T took the win by 88 - 86, amidst much jubilation in the pits.

Wlodarczyk and Burchardt both raced unbeaten, on a track made heavy in the wintry conditions, with good scores from their fellow Polish internationals, Darek Kurkowski and Szwajorek, despite both suffering a race exclusion each. Whiting top scored for the visitors, who were much more solid than A & T, but could provide only four race winners.

Northern League match result

Astley & Tyldesley 88 Bury 86

A & T: Remi Burchardt 20 Tomasz Wlodarczyk 19 (1), Darek Kurkowski 15, Tomasz Szwajorek 12 (1), Roy Heslop 10, Ben Dickenson 6, Mike Hack 5, Philip Atherton 1.

Bury: John Whiting 15 (2), Ben Scranage 15 (1), Neil Howarth 14 (1), Mike Hewitson 13 (1), John Miladinovic 12 (2), Scott Jarman 10 (3), Tom Doyle 7 (2).

Referee - Gary Nuttall.