Cornish Pirates 18 Bedford Blues 26
The Mennaye Field crowd were treated to an RFU Championship Easter Sunday cracker but it was Bedford Blues who claimed the spoils of victory with a strong second performance, writes Dick Straughan.
The Pirates started brightly on a freezing cold afternoon in West Cornwall taking the game to the Blues from the outset. Flanker Phil Burgess quickly established himself as a menace in open play whilst fly-half Jonny Bentley on his return to action after 17 months on the sidelines showed glimpses of his old magic.
Junior Fatialof's barnstorming break drew a penalty on 8 minutes and full-back Grant Pointer stepped up to give the Pirates a deserved lead, but the Bedford response was quick to come and former Pirates ten Myles Dorrian set about his own personal points haul of nineteen for the game with a 14th minute penalty to level the game.
Dorrian struck twice more before the half hour mark in a helter-skelter first half but the Pirates struggled with handling errors and a malfunctioning lineout which gave the Blues possession and frustrated the home team.
Centre Tom Riley should have scored for the Pirates only to knock-on when well placed and Bentley was forced off with a turned ankle just before the interval, but the Pirates did respond when Matt Evans carved a path through the Blues rearguard and Fatialofa crashed over the line for an unconverted try.
Trailing by one point at the break the Pirates started the second half slowly and Dorrian and Darryly Veenendaal orchestrated the midfield for the Blues. Wing James Stephenson was proving a tricky customer for the home defence and he set up Dorrian`s 43rd minute try in the corner.
The Australian converted and then after Neil Cochrane`s breakdown offence had given Kieran Hallett three points back for the Pirates, linked well with Stephenson to set up Josh Bassett for his 11th try of the season. Dorrian banged over the extras for a 23-11 lead.
Three minutes later the Pirates were reduced to fourteen men as Fatialofa smashed into the ball carrying Dan Seal in front of the Pirates posts but failed to roll away. Another simple penalty brought another easy three points for Bedford but the Pirates were not finished.
With Dorrian again probing in the home 22 the Pirates seized on a loose pass and broke first with Tom Kessell and then Matt Evans who showed great composure before offloading to Phil Burgess for a try at the posts. Hallett converted but the Pirates couldn`t claw back any more as Bedford defended well forcing errors in a scrappy final ten minutes.
For Bedford their recent wobble in form now appears behind them with the play-offs firmly back on track whilst the Cornish Pirates have a cup quarter-final against Munster next week as they look to take something from a tough season.
Cornish Pirates
Pointer, Mercer, Riley, Fatialofa (sin-bin 54-64, Bedford 66), Evans, Bentley (Hallett 37), Kessell; Andrew, Elloway (Semmens 66), Joyce (Prescott 52, Joyce 59), Barry (Lyons 66), Johnson, Marriott (capt) (Cheesman 55), Burgess, McGlone
Replacement (not used) - Cattle
Tries – Fatialofa, Burgess
Con – Hallett
Pens – Pointer
Yellow Card – Fatialofa
Bedford Blues
Ransom, Stephenson, Burke (Dodge 55), Atkinson, Bassett, Dorrian, Veenendaal (Baldwin 66); Reeves (Fearn 48), Cochrane (Spurling 74), Seal (Cooper 66) Howard, Tupai, Gillanders, Fox, Barrell (Armes 48)
Replacement (not used) – Sharp
Tries – Dorrian, Bassett
Cons – Dorrian
Pens – Dorrian (4)
Referee – M.Carley (RFU)
Attendance – 2,032
