BURY Ladies' in-form second team are going from strength to strength after following up a battling draw against fellow high-flyers Rochdale in the league on Saturday by booking a place in the Greater Manchester All Division's Plate final the following day.

The Castlebrook side kicked off the weekend with a gutsy display at home to their local rivals which was enough to keep them top of Division Three of the Greater Manchester Women's Hockey Association.

They then blitzed Fourth Division Manchester Moss Park 8-1 in the last four of the Plate competition on Sunday.

The second team took a big step towards promotion after holding third-placed Rochdale to a goalless draw.

With the top two set to go up, the visitors are now four points behind with just three games left to play.

Bury were made to work hard for the point though, although they put in a much more fluent performance than their 1-1 draw at Rochdale last time out.

The visitors held out before the break then forced keeper Hania Nicholson to make two fine saves in the second half, which won her the player-of-the-match award.

Second-placed Salford remain in the box seat in the title race, behind Bury on goal difference but with a game in hand. But the top with the top two set to play each other on the final day of the season, the title race could still go to the wire as Karen Nicholls’ side look to earn a second successive promotion.

They also have a cup final to look forward to on Saturday, March 12, after storming past Manchester Moss Park in the All Divisions Plate.

Moss Park started with a goal’s advantage, as per the competition rules, but the upset always looked unlikely as Helen Beard tapped home Bury's first goal in the first attack of the game.

Three minutes later vice-captain Lisa Davies fired in a well-worked short corner to double the lead and Beard crossed for Rosie Hanley to convert their third goal in the very next attack.

By the 10th minute the result was all but sealed when Beard grabbed her second, on hand to turn the ball home following another short corner.

A close range finish following a goalmouth scramble from Sophie Foreman gave Bury their fourth before half time.

Davies crashed home her second after just a minute of the second half, and while she and Beard were thwarted by the Moss Park keeper as they went in search of a hat-trick, late goals from Rachel Bailey and Heather Jones rounded off the scoring.

While the Ladies' second team march on, the firsts have dropped into the Division One relegation places following a 7-0 defeat at Manchester Mantos.