....unless of course you wear the claret and blue of Rotherham, whose faithful rightly filed out afterwards content in the knowledge that the better team had won. Their team.

The visitors no doubt were left scratching their heads (or should that read rubbing their heads after any deserved post match 'hairdryer' moments?), after an extremely flat performance overall.

And yet it had all began encouragingly enough as West's opening score from the tee on five minutes was answered in the most positive fashion barely a minute later.

Some good work from the restart saw the ball in Cook's possession very quickly, who instantly created a gap where there had been none out on the Pirates left flank. Gulliver continued the move with acres of space ahead and support arriving at pace to helplessly outgun the last defender who had little option but to commit to the tackle. Doherty easily did the rest, leaving Moore to wrap up the extras with an ease he was to display on each of the four occasions he was asked. 7-3.

This however was as good as it got as Rotherham steadily warmed to the task and began to enjoy a lot more ascendancy as their Eight took a grip on proceedings up front; encouraged as they no doubt were with their quicker adaptation to the man in the middles' expectation around the breakdown area. West on the whole was able to do the rest.

The penalty count against the Cornishmen steadily mounted and despite some generally stern defence, the scoreboard also began to turn against them.

West's second pot on ten minutes was as clean as the first, although he missed a chance to regain his side the lead five minutes later as the left upright denied him the satisfaction. Sighs of relief on the Pirates line were shortlived however as Rotherham's following up of the kick reacted quickest, and sniffed the chance of seven instead of three points. Sadly for them the attack faltered with a knock on, handing the Pirates the scrum near to the whitewash, and surely the chance to clear their lines at least.

Unfortunately not, as their adversaries duly destroyed them; pushing them off their own ball with frightening ease in the process. Ex Pirate Chivers just couldn't believe his luck when the simplest of touchdowns landed in his lap even if West didn't convert. The Titans had regained the lead, a status they weren't to relinquish for the remainder of the afternoon. 7-11.

Credit where it's due though as the Pirates retained their composure even if the execution wasn't at the desired level, hindered no doubt by an increasing inability to match Roth's methods and/or success at ruck/tackle time.

It was proving frustrating for sure as Skipper Blair time after time was invited for a quiet chat with Mr McMenemy to discuss matters. His opposite number Whitehead could well have felt left out with no similar social niceities to perform, not that he'd be complaining of course.

Despite these inhibitions the visitors did claw their way back either side of the half hour mark. A penalty from Moore reduced the deficit to a solitary point which triggered a rare sustained spell of pressure that saw a second try come agonisingly close following a catch and drive attempt on the standside.

Momentum ebbed and as if to rub salt in the wounds West found his line and length again in injury time as Winn finally pushed Sir too far straying offside once too often. 10-14.

Inexplicably Rotherham couldn't capitalise further with the one man advantage as play resumed for the second period. Some sound rearguard action from the Pirates kept the Titans far enough away from the danger zone to restrict West to only a long distant hoof from halfway which missed.

In reply, any of the promise from the Pirates back line was nullified in the aforementioned 'Pit of Doom' at the breakdown and a mediocre stalemate beckoned ominously. Most visibly when McAtee, who'd dispalyed all the qualities of a coiled spring waiting for a chance to be unfurled; subject to Mr McMenemy not nipping things in the bud with his whistle; took Havili's place on the bench.

West and Moore had exchanged penalties by this stage to maintain the half time gap of four points before Whitehead launched a huge drop goal that silenced some early groans from home support very quickly, soon after being sent on it's way goalwards. And hopefully the chance of a grandstand like finish of sorts one way or another. 13-20.

West's simpler DG barely four minutes later at last put some daylight between the teams before the Pirates finally found something like third gear with a quarter of an hour to play. 13-23.

Another good break by Cook set up the chance of some points as the home side finally incurred some Scottish wrath of note. A full quota of players remained on pitch this time as the Pirates boldly opted for the corner despite being well within Moores range. With the lineout won and You Know Who cuddling the pill as if his life depended on it, the initial surge for the line was commendably held up and looked to be stuttering backwards until Winn joined the gang and got things moving forward again. Jimmy inevitably had the chance to add two from out wide and with only three points the difference, an unlikely ram raid of the sweety jar looked feasible.

No doubt all the spirits in the vicinity had other ideas with their time to roam before All Saints day rapidly disappearing from the egg timer. Piratical hopes of a repeat of last seasons win at the death equally drained down the plughole, with any good approach play being spoiled by error or infringement.

To add to their woes, Whitehead's chance at the other end to cross the tryline was only called back by the narrowest of calls for a foot out of play which would surely have killed any remaining hopes the visitors had left. It mattered not as West nailed the final two pieces of metalwork into the coffin with a couple of late penalties; the second deep into injury time as a Pirate scrum buckled alarmingly once more.

No doubt the Cornish changing room post match would have wreaked with the scent of angry New Zealander; and quite correctly. Some undivided attention is needed once more with next Sundays visit of Bedford to the Rec an ideal chance to get things squarely back on (realistic) track.

On this showing it could be a big ask, but then you only have to study other results to come to the conclusion that any prolonged usage of hair enhancing implements isn't the answer. Besides, it's not as if there is any abundance of such equipment from within the coaching ranks either is it? (;o))

Time maybe to keep the nerve when others could be losing theirs?