THE Cornish Pirates kept their play-off hopes alive heading into the final weekend of the season following a dramatic late victory over high-flying Coventry at the Mennaye Field.

Both teams had real incentive to achieve a victory, with the visitors looking to cement a home play-off, while for the Pirates anything but a win would mean Saturday’s trip to Hartpury became irrelevant in the race for the top six.

For the Cornish Pirates, team changes since their last outing at Ealing Trailfinders saw returns to the side for wing Harry Yates, lock Matt Cannon, and No.8 Tomi Agbongbon, who was making his 50th appearance for the club. Recovered from injury, scrum-half Dan Hiscocks was named in the ‘9’ shirt and fit again lock Charlie ‘Buster’ Rice was included on the bench, as was experienced prop Ehren Painter who is on loan from Exeter Chiefs.

Getting off to a sound start, the Pirates opened their try account in just the third minute when, following a catch and drive, Cannon forced his way over the at the scoreboard corner. Fly-half Arwel Robson added the extras with a well-struck conversion.

It was not long before the visitors levelled the scores when space was created to enable wing David Opoku-Fordjour to dive in for a try at the Newlyn Gate corner. Brother of Sale and England prop Asher Opoku-Fordjour, his effort was converted by fly-half Tommy Mathews.

Wing-forward Allan Ferrie, who is off to Newcastle Red Bulls next season, also showed a burst of power and pace that sent home alarm bells ringing. However, after visiting prop Matt Johnson was yellow-carded, it was a try scored by man-of-the-match hooker Morgan Nelson that saw the Pirates regain the lead.

A superb long-range penalty, kicked by Mathews from all but on the halfway spot, narrowed the deficit for Coventry, but after a handling error gifted the Pirates possession, it was an eager Yates whose converted try scored wide out right – his 12th of the season – that made it 19-10 at the break.

Introduced to proceedings quite early in the second period, Painter was quick to make an impact before Coventry went into overdrive. Replacement prop Eliot Salt, who has represented Cornwall under 20s in the past, scored a converted try, and ‘Cov’ then took the lead when flanker Murray Davidson touched down to the right of Penzance posts. The conversion by replacement Josh Thomas gave his side a five-point lead.

A name to note in the Coventry team was that of their replacement hooker Will Dorrell. Just 18 years of age and making his debut, he is a grandson of former Pirates prop and local farmer Jeff Thomas.

The Pirates were now in the last chance saloon but responded brilliantly to win it.

Firstly, they took the lead thanks to a converted try scored near the Newlyn posts by replacement Charlie Rice, but Robson also kicked a penalty to ensure the visitors hadn’t won in West Cornwall since August 1998.

CORNISH PIRATES: Iwan Price-Thomas; Arthur Relton, Chester Ribbons, Harry Ascherl, Harry Yates; Arwel Robson, Dan Hiscocks; Billy Young, Morgan Nelson, Alfie Petch; Milo Hallam, Matt Cannon; Alex Everett (capt), Jack Forsythe, Tomi Agbongbon. Replacements: Sol Moody, Ollie Andrew, Ehren Painter, Charlie Rice, John Stevens, Will Becconsall, Angus Mawson, Matty Ward.

Tries: Cannon, Nelson, Yates, Rice; Convs: Robson (3); Pens: Robson.

Pirates’ man-of-the-match: Morgan Nelson.