BURY Grammar School Old Boys and Elton Vale beat the weather and their opponents to progress in cup games.

The Old Boys made it into the semi-finals of the Lancashire Amateur Cup with a solid 2-0 win against Rochdalians AFC, while Vale needed penalties to see off the challenge of Breightmet United in the Murray Shield.

Second-half substitute Lawrie McGready put Bury in front from close range shortly after being thrown into action.

The hosts rode their luck as Rochdalians hit the post with a sweet strike, but as the visitors pressed for an equaliser they were picked off.

A lovely through ball by Terry Jepson was slotted home by McGeady following some fancy footwork from the substitute to round the keeper.

The visitors were reduced to 10 men with 20 minutes to go and Bury were able to see out the tie and book a spot in the last four.

Vale had a much more difficult route into the semi-finals of the Murray Shield as they drew 3-3 at home to Breighmet before winning the deciding shootout 3-1.

They took the lead on 38 minutes when Chris Baynes volleyed home Shaun Carey’s cross, but Scott Lock levelled just before the break.

Baynes grabbed his second on the hour and Robin Greenwood doubled Vale’s advantage two minutes later to put them in control of the tie.

But Lock pulled one back with a 30-year screamer 20 minutes from time and, after Marvin Browne was unlucky to see a header ruled not to have crossed the line, Breightmet equalised at the death through Osman Karakan. The tie went straight to penalties and, although Vale missed the first kick, Breightmet could do no better and only managed to converted one of their four penalties.