SEDGLEY PARK MATCH
REPORT CORNISH Pirates coach Jim McKay has called for a "big improvement" from his side after they slipped to their sixth league defeat of the season against National One strugglers Sedgley Park.
For a second successive season the Pirates were left red-faced by their Manchester-based hosts, who were understandably delighted to record maximum points in their battle to beat the drop. But while Park celebrated, McKay was less than impressed with his side's display. The Australian knows a serious amount of work needs to be carried out over the course of this week, particularly as league leaders Harlequins are next on the agenda this Sunday "We made a lot of unforced errors and too many people underperformed out there, it's as simple as that," said McKay afterwards. "We had a pretty good game plan, but we didn't play to it and that's disappointing. "Also, let's take nothing away from Sedgley Park either. They played very well and they took their chances when they came along." McKay added: "The real frustration for me is that we know what we are capable of and how we can play, but at the moment we're just too inconsistent. "We allowed them too many chances and they punished us. We scored a good try in the first half and some of our play in the second half was much better, but there are still too many unforced errors creeping into our play." In a difficult opening to the game, the Pirates were always playing catch-up after Park fly-half Phil Jones fired the home side in front after just three minutes with a penalty. The former England A international, who moved to the Manchester club from Orrell, then added the extras to lock Jon Skurr's catch-and-drive try five minutes later to put Park 10-0 up. The early home onslaught continued aplenty as No.8 Sam Anania was next over the visitors' line on 17 minutes, Jones again obliging with the conversion as the home side made it 17-0 in as many minutes. The Pirates were clearly reeling from their early bashing, but they hit back well and when recalled winger Matt Jess put the finishing touches to a slick handling move on 24 minutes, Tom Barlow converting, the visitors were at last able to find a way into the game. That, however, was to prove Barlow's last telling impact on the game, the former Plymouth Albion fly-half departed just moments later with a muscle strain which, McKay hopes, will have cleared up in time for the forthcoming visit of Harlequins. Lee Jarvis replaced Barlow in the fly-half slot, but it was opposite number Jones who extended the home side's grip on proceedings when he grabbed their third try of the afternoon on the half-hour mark, which he also converted to make it 24-7. With half-time fast approaching, Park grabbed their all-important fourth try when full-back Arno de Jager created the opening for flanker Richard Senior to cross, Jones again converting to put the home side 22 points up at the turn. McKay introduced both Nick Makin and Dan Seal into the Pirates front-row early in the second half in a bid to add some fresh impetus up front - and the move seemed to work as the visitors slowly began to find a bit of form. Welsh centre Kevin James reduced the arrears on 66 minutes when he found his way over for his 11th try of the season, converted by Jarvis. And James was on the end of another slick move from the Cornishmen three minutes later as the Pirates threatened to salvage something late on. Sadly a dramatic comeback was thwarted by some valiant home defending and it was the Pirates who headed home licking their wounds. * CORNISH Pirates officials are keen to stress that their remaining three National One home games against Harlequins (Sunday, March 26), Plymouth Albion (April 17) and London Welsh (April 29) will all kick-off at 3pm. Sedgley Park 31 Cornish
Pirates 21 Sedgley Park: A de Jager (C Wilkinson 74); J Feeley, I Voortman, S Woof, C Hall; P Jones, J Albinson (D McCormack 73); P Gazzola, R Oxley (P Keys 79), G Evans (P du Plessis 73; J Skurr, E Lund; R Senior, J Ponton (capt), S Anania. Replacements (not used): G Roberts, D Livesey, C Rowe. Cornish Pirates: W Davies, R Welding, K James, W Kelly, M Jess; T Barlow (L Jarvis 25), G Cattle (capt); A Paver, P Ince (N Makin 49), N Adams (D Seal 51); H Senekal, J Beardshaw; J Bearman, S Betty, T Cowley (M Evans 71). Replacements (not used): N Chivers, S James, S Hockings. Referee:
T Beddow (RFU). |
|---|
