Bury took the lead early in the Suffolk Cup Final and never relinquished it on their way to lifting the trophy.Bury play two leagues higher than Colchester and, despite the Essex outfit fielding some Army players who had played at a higher level, this advantage was the telling factor.

Bury St Edmunds 33 - 16 Colchester

Bury took the lead early in the Suffolk Cup Final and never relinquished it on their way to lifting the trophy.

Bury play two leagues higher than Colchester and, despite the Essex outfit fielding some Army players who had played at a higher level, this advantage was the telling factor.

Within minutes of the kick-off Bury took the. Clever play down the blindside involving Terreblanche and Trede sent scrum-half Lavea in for the opening score. Terreblanche added a penalty and then Bury suffered a double setback.

Lavea made a break round the base of a ruck and offloaded to Cross who put James in for a second try but it was the last action Lavea was to see as he left the field with a dislocated shoulder. Then Cross suffered a deadleg. He stayed on the park but effectively played most of the game on one leg.

Colchester tried to fight back but powerful defence from Bury led by Parks, Webdale and the ferocious Geatches held them at bay.

In the set-piece Bury had the upper hand with Cross, Parks and Walker dominant in the line-outs. In the scrums Colchester managed a little more parity but Blackwell's destruction of McMillan and James' nullifying of Dowding's power ensured adequate ball for Bury.

In a rare foray into Bury territory Colchester managed to secure a penalty from fly-half Withers but any advantage they could have drawn from this was lost when Duffy was harshly sent off for punching. Bury rounded off the half with a try from Mann converted by Terreblanche.

Colchester came back to within striking distance with another penalty from Withers and a try from no. 13 Vine after the break.

Bury, who had started to cruise a little, were forced to raise their game and a period of sustained pressure brought a try for Cross who ran in from 20 metres, beating three men in the process. Blackwell was unlucky to be denied what would have been his first score in senior rugby when the ref was unsighted as he was driven over the line by Oxborrow. Bury had to be satisfied with a penalty from Van Den Bergh.

Colchester came back to again with a converted score from Dowding but the final word went to Bury when Turner showed his pace to beat Cook to a kick into the dead-ball area.