Fleetwood kicked off their new season in dominant fashion, overcoming a resilient Bury side with a powerful forward display and a clinical performance from their debutants to secure a 34-7 victory on a wet and grey afternoon.

From the first whistle, Fleetwood’s intent was clear. Early pressure led to the opening score when a powerful break by Brett Whitehead set up a string of phases. Debutant Brady Barcock capped off the move, proving unstoppable from 15 meters out to score the first try of the match, which was expertly converted by Harrison Sigley.

Fleetwood’s forward dominance was a recurring theme throughout the match. Their scrum was absolutely solid and their lineout superb, providing a constant platform for attack. This forward power led to the second try of the day, as a relentless maul from the 22-meter line allowed fellow debutant Tom Greenwood to touch down.

Just before halftime, another impressive maul and some slick phase play opened up space for Kieran Butler to dive over for a try on his debut. Despite a yellow card for Chris Jones for a collision off the ball, Fleetwood went into the break with a commanding 17-0 lead.

The second half began just as the first had ended, with Fleetwood controlling the game. Their forward pack continued to be the catalyst, winning a penalty that was quickly exploited. The ball was spun wide to Keegan Paverd, who became the fourth debutant to score a try. Sigley’s conversion extended the lead to 24-0.

Bury finally got on the scoreboard after some messy play from Fleetwood and a fortunate kick-through led to a converted try.

However, Fleetwood’s defense held firm under sustained pressure, with superb effort from all and some highlights from Chris Buschini and Kieran Butler to repel the Bury attack.

Harrison Sigley then punished Bury, first with a successful penalty to make it 27-7, and later by running a clever crash line to score a try, which he also converted.

The final whistle blew with Fleetwood comfortably ahead, 34-7. The team will be delighted with the performance, particularly the five tries and the outstanding contributions from nine debutants.

This was a true squad effort, with every player from 1 to 20 impressing and making a strong case for a starting spot in the next match. Their set-piece was a highlight, with the lineout and scrum providing a formidable foundation. The backs were always a threat running everything back where appropriate and kicking when needed.

While there's always plenty to work on, this was a highly promising start to the season and a well-deserved place in the semi-finals

Head Coach Simon Daws shared his thoughts post game:

"After a chaotic few weeks at the club, we were desperate to get a good start to the season.

It has been no secret that due to local clubs sadly experiencing difficulties, we have inherited some new players and a number of former players / M&J who have returned to the club.

The hardest thing is knitting together a group of lads in a matter of weeks ready for the start of our 1st & 2nd team leagues.

The boys have responded so positively, buying into our ‘1 club’ culture, regardless of individual ability. They’ve been a credit to themselves, their former clubs and retrospective coaches.

We delivered a powerful performance today, but most impressive was how hard they worked for each other in the green and gold.

If we meet each week with the same work ethic, physicality and game management - I’m optimistic we’ll have a good season.

Despite this, our season target remains the same: the formation of a Fleetwood 3rd XV, ready for our first batch of colts to enter senior rugby next year #??