Cornish Pirates beat Chinnor 48-24 to preserve unbeaten home record
Four late tries carried Cornish Pirates clear of Chinnor after the visitors had taken the lead early in the second half at Mennaye Field.
Cornish Pirates beat Chinnor 48-24 at Mennaye Field in Penzance on 17 October, preserving their unbeaten home record this season. The Championship win was their third in five games overall, according to BBC Sport, and came after an away defeat at Bedford the previous week.
How Cornish Pirates pulled clear of Chinnor
Chinnor went 7-0 ahead early, but a try from prop Alessandro Heaney and two from Henry Palmer in a two-minute spell put Pirates 19-7 up six minutes before half-time, BBC Sport reported. Alun Walker then scored for Chinnor, reducing the deficit to 19-14 at the break.
Walker gave Chinnor the lead early in the second half. Heaney scored his second try in the 63rd minute to put Pirates back in front, before Hugh Bokenham, Will Becconsall and debutant Charlie Poynton crossed during a seven-minute spell. Pirates scored seven tries in all, four of them in the final 17 minutes, as they turned a close contest into a 24-point victory.
The club lists the match as a completed 48-24 Championship fixture at Mennaye Field. Its result confirms the score and date; BBC Sport reported the scoring sequence and the players involved.
Gavin Cattle on the second-half response
Joint-head coach Gavin Cattle told BBC Radio Cornwall he was pleased with Pirates’ control after the interval. Despite a tricky wind, he said, the team stayed in the contest, gained ground with its kicking and chose the right moments to attack. He also said changes to the side had made building cohesion an ongoing task.
The result followed a 38-14 defeat at Bedford. Cattle said Pirates had missed chances to get their backs on the ball in that game and described their away performances as the next test. He said the opening block of five fixtures had shown they could compete with leading teams, while players currently getting time on the field were helping build depth as others worked towards a return.
Pirates’ next listed fixture is away to Rotherham on 1 November. It gives them another chance to address the away form Cattle identified after the Chinnor win.
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Sources and context
- Cornish Pirates beat Chinnor to stay perfect at homeBBC Sport (republished by Yahoo Sports)
- Cornish PiratesCornish Pirates
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