Pirates Win at Rec
Cornish Pirates 16 Coventry 15
Pirates Win at Rec
By Dick Straughan January 7 2007
The Cornish Pirates came from behind to snatch a dramatic late victory in appalling conditions at the Camborne Rec today. The result keeps the Pirates in 5th place in Division One but is scant reward for a plucky Coventry team who dominated large phases of the game.
Pirates Win at Rec
The Cornish Pirates came from behind to snatch a dramatic late victory in appalling conditions at the Camborne Rec today. The result keeps the Pirates in 5th place in Division One but is scant reward for a plucky Coventry team who dominated large phases of the game.
Gale force winds and torrential rain had been predicted to arrive during the middle of the afternoon and five minutes before kick-off they did. Coventry kicked off with the elements at their backs and thus began a war of attrition in which the Pirates rarely left their own territory during a scrappy opening half an hour.
Coventry`s pick and drive tactics were to cause difficulties for the Pirates all afternoon, and on the rare occassions that the Pirates forced them to open up the reassuring boot of Ben Russell maintained favourable field position. The Pirates pack tried hard to force the issue but individual errors were costing them dear. When a simple Russell chip over the advancing defence found Hylton hesitant and out of position, Kurt Johnson stole in behind him for the easiest of tries. Russell converted and shortly after added a penalty to stretch the lead to 0-10.
As conditions deteriorated Coventry camped in the Pirates half. The home side seemingly unable to break out were forced to defend grimly but their resolve ultimately proved a key factor, just as Plymouth Albion had demonstrated here a fortnight previously. Repeated Coventry attacks foundered on the rocks of solid defence and individual errors as the whistle of Mr Hall increasingly punctuated the howling maelstrom from the Atlantic. Suddenly the Pirates escaped from their period of captivity and in the dying moments of the first half could and should have scored as the pack lost possession on the Coventry line.
Both teams changed shirts at the interval and under a slate grey sky the Pirates kicked off the second half confident of using the elements to repeat Coventry`s earlier doominance. The visitors however had not read the script. Despite two Di Bernardo penalties chipping away at their lead, the Coventry pack still ploughed on disrupting the Pirates at every opportunity. Forced into defence once again, Gavin Cattle was stripped of possession by a stray boot and a rapid counter attack brought a second try for Johnson in the town corner.
Only fifteen minutes remained as the Pirates restarted and rung the changes from the bench handing a league debut to Fijian international Ravu Samo. Yet it was the boot of James Moore, playing against his old club, that did the damage as his wind assisted clearance from halfway caused panic in the Coventry defence as they struggled to field the ball. From the ensuing five metre scrum, Coventry were unceremoniously shunted back over their own line and Gavin Cattle dived over to claim the try. Di Bernardo converted and at 13-15 the home fans finally found their voice.
Moments later the yellow card of Mr Hall made an appearance to reduce Coventry to fourteen men, after a series of infringements on the ground by the visitors. Di Bernardo slotted the kick and the Pirates were in front. This should have set up a frenetic finale but in the gloom and driving rain the match descended into a midfield slog. Full time brought a relief to us all.
This was a game for the purist and little else. However after two successive victories in mudbaths the Pirates will be content at least. The ability to win ugly is the mark of a good team and one which the Pirates have often fallen short of in the past. Coventry played well today and they should take great heart from this performance. On another day they may have won.
PIRATES:- Winnan, Moore, Barratt, Bell, Hylton, Di Bernardo, Cattle (c), Cowley, Motusaga, McKeen, Beardshaw, Senekal, Seal, Makin, Anderson, REPS:- McAtee, Vinnecombe, Winn, Cracknell, Evans, Ma`asi, Samo
COVENTRY:- Russell (c), Johnson, Geraghty, Sanders, Montague, Dorrian, Walls, Johnson, O`Connor, Venter, Rheeders, Nimmo, Treston, Protherough, Brits, REPS:- Rimmer, Davies, Tonkin, James, Toft, Binham, Dixon
Referee:- Terry Hall (RFU)
Coventry`s pick and drive tactics were to cause difficulties for the Pirates all afternoon, and on the rare occassions that the Pirates forced them to open up the reassuring boot of Ben Russell maintained favourable field position. The Pirates pack tried hard to force the issue but individual errors were costing them dear. When a simple Russell chip over the advancing defence found Hylton hesitant and out of position, Kurt Johnson stole in behind him for the easiest of tries. Russell converted and shortly after added a penalty to stretch the lead to 0-10.
As conditions deteriorated Coventry camped in the Pirates half. The home side seemingly unable to break out were forced to defend grimly but their resolve ultimately proved a key factor, just as Plymouth Albion had demonstrated here a fortnight previously. Repeated Coventry attacks foundered on the rocks of solid defence and individual errors as the whistle of Mr Hall increasingly punctuated the howling maelstrom from the Atlantic. Suddenly the Pirates escaped from their period of captivity and in the dying moments of the first half could and should have scored as the pack lost possession on the Coventry line.
Both teams changed shirts at the interval and under a slate grey sky the Pirates kicked off the second half confident of using the elements to repeat Coventry`s earlier doominance. The visitors however had not read the script. Despite two Di Bernardo penalties chipping away at their lead, the Coventry pack still ploughed on disrupting the Pirates at every opportunity. Forced into defence once again, Gavin Cattle was stripped of possession by a stray boot and a rapid counter attack brought a second try for Johnson in the town corner.
Only fifteen minutes remained as the Pirates restarted and rung the changes from the bench handing a league debut to Fijian international Ravu Samo. Yet it was the boot of James Moore, playing against his old club, that did the damage as his wind assisted clearance from halfway caused panic in the Coventry defence as they struggled to field the ball. From the ensuing five metre scrum, Coventry were unceremoniously shunted back over their own line and Gavin Cattle dived over to claim the try. Di Bernardo converted and at 13-15 the home fans finally found their voice.
Moments later the yellow card of Mr Hall made an appearance to reduce Coventry to fourteen men, after a series of infringements on the ground by the visitors. Di Bernardo slotted the kick and the Pirates were in front. This should have set up a frenetic finale but in the gloom and driving rain the match descended into a midfield slog. Full time brought a relief to us all.
This was a game for the purist and little else. However after two successive victories in mudbaths the Pirates will be content at least. The ability to win ugly is the mark of a good team and one which the Pirates have often fallen short of in the past. Coventry played well today and they should take great heart from this performance. On another day they may have won.
PIRATES:- Winnan, Moore, Barratt, Bell, Hylton, Di Bernardo, Cattle (c), Cowley, Motusaga, McKeen, Beardshaw, Senekal, Seal, Makin, Anderson, REPS:- McAtee, Vinnecombe, Winn, Cracknell, Evans, Ma`asi, Samo
COVENTRY:- Russell (c), Johnson, Geraghty, Sanders, Montague, Dorrian, Walls, Johnson, O`Connor, Venter, Rheeders, Nimmo, Treston, Protherough, Brits, REPS:- Rimmer, Davies, Tonkin, James, Toft, Binham, Dixon
Referee:- Terry Hall (RFU)
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