Cornish Pirates

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)