CORNISH PIRATES 39pts
SEDGLEY PARK 13pts
REDRUTH 13pts
Try: Richards
Conversion: Hook
Penalty: Hook
Redruth: P Thirlby; M Lea, C Bonds (captain), PJ Gidlow, S Peters; M Hook, M Richards; D Jacques, O Hambly, P Joyce (A Morcom 72m); D Cook, L Collins; N Pascoe, J Mann (J Navin 80m), M Bright. Rep not used: S Brown, B Priddey.
HENLEY HAWKES 10pts
Tries: Penalty try
Conversions: Burton
Penalty: Burton
Henley Hawkes: J Farndon; D Tibbett, P Dunckley, L Burns (B Reeves 72m), A Gill; M Burton, J Gaunt; A Le Chevalier, L Wordley (captain), T French; J Winterbottom, R Hurrell; M Payne, S Williams (G Chamberlain 72m), D Archer.
Rep not used :J Hadfield, T Muggridge.
Referee: Mr S Leyshon (RFU)
AFTER a run of tightly contested league matches, this was a game in which the Pirates were hoping for a rare chance to relax against the Mancunians from Sedgley Park.
From the start, the Pirates were looking to play with a flowing style with wing Jonny Hylton showing his pace on the right to quickly raise the crowd's expectation. A penalty from fly-half Alberto Di Bernardo provided an early lead, but it was soon cancelled out by Phil Jones.
The Pirates applied mounting pressure but were unable to penetrate Sedgley Park's steadfast defensive line, settling for three points from a second penalty kicked by Di Bernardo. As the half developed, the "Tigers" showed that they too were able to play an expansive game and looked useful at the scrummage, forcing the Pirates to give away a penalty successfully slotted by Jones. The Pirates responded with prop Alan Paver and skipper Gavin Cattle probing the fringes until a maul near the posts developed. Sedgley Park were under pressure, and when they seemingly dragged the maul down referee Mr. Terry Hall awarded the Pirates a penalty try converted by Di Bernardo. The Pirates began using acquired territorial advantage and from a scrummage just five metres out, Tim Cowley was able to power to the line for an unconverted try.
The Pirates were now fully in control, and although Jones did his best to ease his side out of trouble with his kicking, the home team pushed hard to deservedly notch up another important score when Duncan Bell showed accustomed power and pace to score a try at the posts converted by Di Bernardo for a 25-6 lead.
In the second half the Pirates were keen to quickly secure a bonus point and it was flanker Iva Motusaga who crossed for a converted try to the right of the posts.
After both sides introduced their share of replacements, play became ragged. However, a trademark break by McAtee lifted spirits and there was a strong finish applied at the scoreboard corner when replacement prop Grant Anderson scored the final effort converted by replacement fly-half James Moore.
Scorers - Cornish Pirates - tries: pen try, Cowley, Bell, Motusaga, Anderson; cons: Di Bernardo (3), Moore; pens: Di Bernardo (2).
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