Pirates playoff hopes hit by defeat in Leeds
7:17pm Sunday 3rd March 2013 in Sport
Pirates playoff hopes hit by defeat in Leeds
LEEDS CARNEGIE 37
CORNSIH PIRATES 25
Despite leading at half time the Cornish Pirates were unable to hang on for the win away at Leeds Carnegie on Sunday.
Defeat at Cross Green dealt a potentially fatal blow to the Pirates' hopes of making the RFU Championship playoffs, with the Cornish side slipping to sixth in the table one place behind Sunday's opponents.
Leeds took an early lead thanks to a penalty in the first minute, before tries from Kieran Hallett and Paul Andrew put the Pirates back in control.
But a lack of discipline would prove costly for the Pirates, as Leeds made the most of a slew of penalties awarded in their favour to put points on the board.
Even so, the visitors held out until ten minutes after the restart when former Pirate Matt Smitt touched down, and five minutes from time another Mennaye old boy David Docherty made sure of the win for Leeds.
Matt Evans scored a late consolation try for the Pirates on the stroke of full time, but by then the game was over in all but name.
