Giant centre Hainsworth lands hat-trick as Bury beat Stainland

QUEENSBURY centre Tom Hainsworth destroyed any Stainland hopes of causing a Championship Division upset by posting a blistering hat-trick in a ten minute salvo at Deanstones Lane.

Bury were quickly out of the blocks when wingman Rob Nagy collected a difficult pass to cross in the corner before the Stags had touched the ball.

But the Halifax side were far from deterred and took the lead when second row forward Tom Williams punched a hole to reach the posts leaving stand-off Danny Rushworth to add the extras.

The Stags' packman Paul Barwich was despatched to the sin bin following a punch, signalling the start of the mayhem from Hainsworth that completely scuppered their chances of success.

The giant centre powered onto a short pass to cross at the uprights, which was followed by a 50-metre sprint taking the Stainland full back with him when he planted the ball on the whitewash.

His hat-trick was completed by diving over in the corner in heavy traffic, and stand-off Jonny Norman converted all three to put the hosts in complete charge at 22-6.

A rapid attack on the right flank saw wingman Josh Boulger in at the flag and a 60-metre interception try from Nagy earned him his second before home substitute Jimmy Simpson was shown a yellow card for a high elbow.

Stainland reduced the arrears 32-12 just before the break when wingman Will Jordon waltzed through a gap, and the hard sporting encounter was unnecessarily tarnished on the restart when Bury forward Joe Flanagan and his opposite number Dan Gee were sent off after a bout of fisticuffs.

The Stags' centre Luke Leonard kept their interests alive with a converted touchdown, but Bury were in no mood to let them off the hook as Boulger sprinted under the posts.

That was quickly underlined by another clever effort when substitute forward Jack Evison cut inside to hand off two defenders on route to the chalk.

The tireless Nagy highlighted his excellent afternoons work by squeezing in at the corner for his hat-trick, but there was a worrying sight for the hosts when the mighty Hainsworth was assisted from the fray with a leg injury shortly before the final whistle.