BOLTON Mets' spirit and efforts finally paid off when they ended their 100 per cent losing record with their first win on Saturday.

The Avenue Street men finally got off the mark in their 16th game in the North West League Division Four with a 30-16 victory over Bury Broncos A.

Their first two points of the season were not enough to lift them off the bottom but brought them to within a point of their Bury opponents.

And Mets chairman Stuart Cooke paid tribute to the team's character.

"To see the lads get the win was outstanding," he said.

"They've been on the wrong end of some heavy scores this season but they've stuck to the task and got their reward. The fact it was in a local derby against Bury just made it that little bit sweeter.

"We've had it tough this year and to finally break our duck was quite emotional.

"That win was for every player who has pulled on a Mets shirt this season and put their body on the line when it would have been a lot easier to walk away."

Mets, who narrowly lost 26-24 in the reverse fixture in June, made a flying start to Saturday's home game when a break from full-back Joe Harte led to the opening score.

After busting through the tackle Harte decided to kick the ball past his opposite number to allow pacy centre Brad Maclure to chase down the ball and score his first Mets try.

Stand-off Mark Dorning slotted the ball between the uprights to make it 6-0 which soon doubled when when a dummy from Dorning opened up a gap for him to sprint through and score a try he converted himself.

Broncos turned the game on its head with three tries, two of them converted, to take a 16-12 lead into the break.

Prop Gavin Corfield and second rower Josh Cooke made a big impact as second-as did .

They helped set the platform for hooker Neil Walsh to pick up from dummy half and sidestep several challenges on the way to the line.

Dorning again added the extras to put Mets 18-16 in front.

Carl Henderson, Brad Maclure, Conor Sykes and Martin Galland impressed in defence and Mets gained extended the lead to eight points when Joe Harte dived over from close range.

Neil Walsh scored his second try of the afternoon with another scampering run from dummy half and Dorning kept up his 100 per cent kicking record in the game.

After scoring 14 of the 30 points, Dorning was named as the opposition's man of the match with Harte and Walsh runners-up and Dale Forrest top tackler.