A SERIOUS injury to Matt Evans capped a miserable
day for the Cornish Pirates as they crashed to their first league defeat of the
season against the Bedford Blues at Goldington Road .
The South
African No.8 departed early in the first half with a knee ligament injury following
a tackle from Bedford 's Tongan powerhouse Soane Tonga'uiha. Initial prognosis
did not appear good, although Evans will undergo further medical checks on Monday.
For Evans it is a bitter blow, particularly as he spent much of last
season sidelined following a horrific ankle injury sustained at Nottingham . The
news will also be a blow to coach Jim McKay, who has seen his back-row options
decimated in recent weeks with injuries to Iva Motusaga, Lodewyk Hattingh, Sam
Betty and Tim Cowley.
Betty and Cowley were two of three changes
McKay was forced to make to his starting line-up following their 43-16 win over
Westcountry rivals Exeter Chiefs the week previous. New loan signing Chris Morgan
and Evans started in the back-row, while Duncan Roke came back in the centre for
Wade Kelly.
Despite the changes, it was the Cornishmen who started
this encounter the brighter. Indeed, they broke the deadlock with just three minutes
on the clock played. A line-out on the right was fed out to fly-half Tom Barlow,
who in turn released winger Richard Welding to gallop over for his ninth try of
the campaign. Barlow added the resultant conversion for a 7-0 lead.
Bedford
came close to cutting the deficit almost from the restart when the Pirates were
penalised for infringing at a ruck. However, Mark Harris, National One's leading
point-scorer this season, fired his penalty shot wide of the uprights.
As defences dominated for large parts of the opening half, it was the Pirates
who should have added to their tally. Twice they went close in the right-hand
corner, their first attempt halted by some foul play by the Blues, their second
chance wasted by some sloppy handling.
It was a let-off for the Blues
who took advantage by levelling the game up on 22 minutes, centre Mike Allen latching
onto a pass from Ali Hepher to race in from 25 metres out, Harris added the conversion.
Moments later and the Pirates could have regained their advantage,
a loose ball fell nicely for Roke, whose chip over the top of the home defence
was just a little too strong and raced to safety.
With time all but
up in the opening period, Allen delivered a timely blow when he struck a 25-metre
penalty to put the hosts in control at 10-7 at the turn.
After the
break it did not get any better for the Pirates, who went further behind three
minutes into the second half. Fly-half Hepher was again the architect, selling
a sublime dummy to prop Alan Paver before offloading to hooker Chris Johnson to
touchdown. Harris converted for a second time to give Bedford a ten-point advantage.
The Bedford onslaught continued aplenty as first Nic Strauss found
his way from a line-out, then back-row colleague Sasha Harding rounded off a superb
handling move to seal the all-important bonus point. Harris banged over both conversions
as the Blues pulled clear at 31-7 ahead.
Changes aplenty flowed for
the Pirates and the fresh impetus certainly seemed to pay dividends as they hit
back with a second Welding try on the hour mark, the winger brushing aside three
defenders to score following a break-out move by full-back Wes Davies.
To their credit the Pirates continued to look for a way back into the game
in the latter stages, but unfortunately they were unable to find a way through
the rock solid Bedford rearguard.
Bedford Blues 31
Tries
- Allen, Johnson, Strauss, Harding; Conversions - Harris 4; Penalty - Harris
Cornish Pirates 12
Tries - Welding 2; Conversion - Barlow;
Bedford : M Harris; C Moir, M Allen, E Lewis (T Luke 18), J Hinkins;
A Hepher, D Malone (A Page 67); S Tonga'uhia, C Johnson (J Ross 79), J Brooks
(M Volland 70); J Phillips, A Brenton (M Comb 67); N Strauss (P Kendall 80), S
Harding, J Paramore (S Brady 62).
Pirates : W Davies; R Welding,
D Roke, S James, K James (M Jess 51); T Barlow, G Cattle (N Chivers 80); A Paver
(D Seal 60), P Ince (N Makin 56), N Adams; W James, J Beardshaw; J Bearman, C
Morgan, M Evans (S Hockings 19). Replacements (not used): L Jarvis, V Ma'asi.
Referee: L Apgeraint Roberts (RFU)
Attendance: 2,477
