Injury blow to Stevens mars trip for Pirates

■ By ROB WILDMAN

Nottingham…… 18pts

Tries: Clayton 21, Ecclesfield 80

Conversions: Arden 21

Penalties: Arden 18, 60

Cornish P ……… 24pts

Tries: Nelson 5, 27, McNab 10, Bokenham 77

Conversions: Houston 10, Jenkins 77

CORNISH Pirates grabbed a bonus point win from a testing trip to Nottingham which left their captain John Stevens nursing a worrying left knee injury.

The influential No.8 had helped give the Pirates a crucial edge in the first 30 minutes until he picked up the injury which forced him to be helped off.

“It doesn’t look good. We will have to see,” said Pirates boss Gavin Cattle.

Stevens, hobbling on crutches afterwards, will have a scan this week and looks certain to miss the visit of Championship favourites Ealing to Penzance on Friday.

Before his departure Stevens had played a big part in the first two tries for Pirates which gave them a 12-0 lead on 10 minutes. His strong driving play had helped set up the first score, which was officially given to hooker Morgan Nelson, and was on hand when a charge down brought a second try for centre Matt McNab.

Fly half Bruce Houston converted McNab’s try but Nottingham, who had lost wing David Williams to a second-minute sin bin for a dangerous challenge, woke up to make the contest very competitive.

A penalty from Matt Arden and a try, following some more good driving play, from hooker Harry Clayton put Nottingham in touch at 10-12. However, just before Steven’s departure, hooker Nelson again was on hand to finish off following a break by Cam Jones, Pirates’ newcomer at No.9 from Edinburgh.

Nottingham used the conditions well after the break and deserved more than a 60th-minute penalty from Arden which brought home hopes of victory at 13-17 down.

Such was the Nottingham pressure that Pirates needed some last-ditch defence to stop Nottingham. In the end, Pirates proved too resilient and showed their crucial clinical edge by capitalising on a fumble by Nottingham’s Gwyn Parks in his own 22.

That error allowed Pirates to set up camp which ended in a fourth try when Hugh Bokenham, yellow-carded in the first half, forced his way over. Iwan Jenkins, who had come on for Houston, added the extras.

Even then Nottingham had the energy to summon a last effort which brought a try for substitute forward Jay Ecclesfield which gained a losing bonus point.

Nottingham boss Craig Hammond was a little frustrated but was delighted at the 50-minute stint of Army flanker Kody Vereti before cramp intervened.

Hammond said: “We did some really good things and we need to be a bit more consistent. We managed the game in parts and fought back for that bonus point.”