SIXTH-placed Godmanchester Rovers were involved in an eight-goal thriller at Bearscroft Lane on Saturday when they beat Team Bury 5-3.

And now the club, who have many games in hand on the teams above them in Division One of the Eastern Counties League, are gearing up for an almighty fight for promotion in the first half of 2012.

Joe Furness got Goddy off to a flying start, scoring their first goal in the 10th minute, before James Hall made it 2-0 in the 35th minute. However, they were caught napping shortly after that and conceded the first of what joint manager Nev Nania described as “three soft goals”.

James Freshwater, Rovers’ recent signing from Biggleswade Town, came on for John Turner for the second half but a mix up between Nicky Hurst and Tom Moran gifted Bury their second goal – and on 60 minutes, another error at the back gave the visitors a 3-2 lead.

An own-goal equaliser came soon after and the managers Nania and David Hurst decided to give run outs to Jordan Brocket and Zockie Adioski – both of whom looked sharp from the off.

Brocket rifled his first chance home to make it 4-3 and then Furness scored the best goal of the game when he went on a mazy run, beating four players, before slotting the ball past the goalkeeper.

Nania said: “This keeps us in the hunt for promotion. We have only lost one game in the League this season.”

What follows will be interesting: Goddy have a Bank Holiday double-header against Cambridge University Press. Away on Boxing Day, Cambridge will be Rovers’ visitors on Monday, January 2. Both games are 11am kick-offs.