The
Pirates team, one that has played with welcome flair and fashion of recent, showed
one change from the one that started against Esher, with centre Paul Devlin, who
replaced an injured Mark Ireland in the first half against the 'EEEs', retaining
his midfield place alongside Steve Winn.
First to make meaningful
yards was Bedford flanker Nic Strauss, given support by prop James Graham and
No. 8 James Lumby. The Pirates endeavoured to counter-attack from inside their
own'22', but without success, succumbing to pressure inflicted upon them for wing
James Pritchard, a Canadian international and former Plymouth Albion player, to
comfortably slot the simple penalty chance on offer.
The
Pirates response was positive, them showing a belief and willingness to play an
expansive game, wing Jimmy Moore busy and linking with lock Bruce Cumming on the
stand side, as the visitors took play to the left corner..
There
was a set-back when the Pirates lost the services of Devlin midway through the
first half, the club's top try-scorer replaced by Brian Tuohy who was quickly
into the match action, making and taking advantage of space created, but without
due reward,.
Strauss was having a stormer for the 'Blues',
and although Bedford gained no initial benefit when opting for a catch and drive
on the left, another simpler penalty chance at goal was not spurned, Pritchard
putting the hosts 6-0 up.
Still believing in themselves,
the Pirates appeared to up the tempo from the restart, creating a fine first try
of the game scored by flanker Iva Motusaga after all hands were involved in a
sweeping left-right-left-right movement up field. Fly-half Gareth Steenson converted,
and then followed this with a fabulously struck penalty from wide on the left,
it following an incident when Pirates flanker Chris Cracknell and Bedford scrum-half
Karl Dickson were yellow-carded, the latter apparently for punching.
Delighted
to be 10-6 up at the break, and with the chance of using the field's slope to
their advantage in the second half, there was cause for optimism until the Pirates
all but immediately went a further man short when Motusaga was penalised for coming
in from the side. Pritchard duly posted the three points on offer
The
scoreboard read 9-10, but more importantly for Bedford they now had a 14-13 advantage
in playing personnel, and were looking to make the numerical difference count,
with locks Mouritz Botha and Arthur Brenton potent ball carriers along with Lumby.
It
was now all Bedford, the Pirates first grateful to Winn for showing his defensive
qualities by forcing Botha into touch on the left, and then to full-back Adryan
Winnan for clearing the ball high to chase, the play then halted when Winnan's
opposite number, Brendan Burke, had to unluckily depart proceedings with what
looked like another ankle injury.
A drop goal attempt from
replacement Ben Patston went close to giving the home side back the lead, and
although it missed, the Blues still kept up the pressure. It seemed just inevitable
that the Pirates would infringe, and so it proved for a Pritchard penalty to make
it 12-10.
A fifth successful strike by Bedford's man of
the match Pritchard soon extended their lead, and with the Pirates not having
looked close to scoring in the second period, many expected the worst. Hopes were
hardly raised when prop Dan Seal had to depart with a blood injury, it demanding
a recall for prop Alan Paver who hobbled off injured at the end of the first half,
ans was now forced to hobble on for probably the last few minutes of the match.
There
little prospect to recover one minute, hopes were then suddenly raised when Motusaga
made a burst to the Bedford line, only to be tackled without support on hand.
The chance might well have been the Pirates last to sneak the result, but this
was certainly not accepted by the players on the field.
A
determined midfield charge by skipper Tim Cowley, leading by example, put his
men more firmly on the front foot , the ball moved left to Jimmy Moore and then
back through the hands to Goldington Road's very own 'Hell Fire Corner'. Replacement
scrum-half Richard Bolt and hooker Nathan Kemp played important roles, along with
wing Rhodri McAtee and Winnan, before Winn this time showed finishing prowess
to score a try that brought the scores level.
If the
home crowd was stunned, and all but the Pirates supporters were, with the score
at 15-all there was still the small matter of a difficult conversion attempt to
follow. The effort from replacement Ollie Thomas would decide the outcome, him
the coolest man about as he stepped forward in hushed silence. It would be an
attempt that demanded respect - a case of wait a few seconds, look at the posts,
step one-two-three, and boom, his effort sailing straight through the posts to
snatch what minutes earlier had looked an unlikely victory.
Bedford:
Brendan Burke (Will Chudley 61), Craig Moir, Liam Roberts, Matt Allen (capt),
James Pritchard
Jon Elrick (Ben Patston 57), Karl Dickson, James Lumby (Greg
Sammons 80), Sacha Harding
Nic Strauss (Ben Pienaar 65), Arthur Brenton (Jon
Phillips 54), Mouritz Botha
James Graham (Bruno Fortuna 73), Dan Richmond,
Alistair Lyon (David Hawksworth 54).
Yellow card: Dickson
Cornish
Pirates:
Adryan Winnan , Rhodri McAtee, Paul Devlin (Brian Tuohy 25),
Steve Winn, Jimmy Moore
Gareth Steenson (Ollie Thomas 75), Ed Fairhurst (Richard
Bolt 80), Tim Cowley (capt)
Iva Motusaga, Chris Cracknell (Matt Evans 73),
Bruce Cumming, Heino Senekal
Dan Seal (Alan Paver 80-88), Rob Elloway (Nathan
Kemp 50), Alan Paver (Peter Cook 37).
Replacement (not used): Scott Hobson
Yellow cards: Cracknell, Motusaga
Scorers:-
Bedford
Pens: Pritchard (5)
Cornish Pirates
Tries: Motusaga, Winn
Cons: Steenson, Thomas
Pen: Steenson
Referee:
Dale Newitt (RFU)
Attendance: 2,539
