This
was a game in which the Pirates not only slipped up on a mud bath of a pitch at
Rotherham's Clifton Land home, but also disappointingly slipped one place in the
league. Their emphatic win against Doncaster Knights the previous week had seen
them leapfrog into fourth place, but they are now back in fifth once more.
There
was no argument about the final result, as the now tenth-placed Yorkshire side,
who have been below par this season, were resolute and gritty throughout. They
also, incidentally, gained revenge for having been beaten 28-18 back at Camborne
last November.
 | The
first quarter of the match was an even slog in the difficult conditions, it a
day when examples of enterprise recently shown by the resurgent Pirates team were
likely to be curtailed. There was a setback also when influential
lock forward Heino Senekal had to depart proceedings injured, his place in the
second-row taken by replacement Matt Evans who had already seen match action covering
for flanker Chris Cracknell who was off the field for a spell with a blood injury. Rotherham
took the lead when skipper Mike Whitehead kicked a penalty |
| "The
first quarter of the match was an even slog in the difficult conditions" | |
Although centre Paul Devlin went close to scoring a try for the Pirates, following
a probing kick by skipper Tim Cowley, the only other points of the half went to
Whitehead once more when he slotted a second penalty before the break to give
his side a 6-0 points lead.
Playing with the advantage of
the elements in the second period, Cornish Pirates fly-half Gareth Steenson successfully
kicked a penalty on offer to keep the Pirates well in touch, with McAtee then
moved in at scrum-half to potentially raise the tempo. However, after Whitehead's
third penalty attempt of the afternoon chose to stray off course, good follow
up work from centre Mark Lawson was rewarded when Titans flanker Barry Jacobsz
powered over. Whitehead added the conversion.
 | To
their credit the Pirates gave their all to try and create a try of their own,
with efforts rewarded from a quick tap penalty late in the second half when momentum
at the resulting maul ended with a converted try from Cracknell. With
two or three minutes plus injury-time left on the clock, the chance of victory
was still possible, but the final result was ultimately wrapped up in the dying
seconds when replacement hooker Kevin Corrigan's converted try gave the Titans
the win they deserved. It was a disappointing finale, the
Pirates now hoping for better weather and a chance to immediately get back on
track with a 'derby' match win at home to Plymouth Albion this coming Sunday. |
| "Momentum
at the resulting maul ended with a converted try from Cracknell" |
Rotherham
Titans:
M. Whitehead (capt), J. Feeley, J. Blackwood, M. Lawson, E.
Claassens, T. Allen, C. Hallam
A. Dunlop (R. Burrows 40), N. Cochrane ( J.Sutton
28), B. Jacobsz, L. McGowan, D. Smith
B. Prescott (P. Boulton 50), N. Conroy
(K. Corrigan 50), J. Kilbane.
Replacements (not used): J. McMillan, V. Goneva,
N. Chivers.
Cornish Pirates:
A. Winnan,
R. McAtee, P. Devlin, S. Winn, J. Moore, G. Steenson, Richard Bolt (B. Tuohy 51)
T. Cowley (capt), S. Betty (I. Motusaga 63), C. Cracknell (M. Evans 6-17), B.
Cumming
H. Senekal (M. Evans 17), D. Seal (S. Heard 63), R. Elloway (D. Dawidiuk
73), A. Paver.
Replacements (not used): P. Cook, O. Thomas
Scorers:-
Rotherham
Titans
Tries: : Jacobsz, Corrigan
Con: Whitehead 2
Pens:
Whitehead 2
Cornish Pirates
Tries:
Cracknell
Cons: Steenson
Pen: Steenson
Referee: Tim
Wigglesworth (RFU)
Attendance: 914
Press
Gang Man Of The Match: 'Spade' Adrian Edwards (Team Manager)
