IT proved to be a happy new year for the Cornish Pirates as they grabbed a 30-12 victory over Jersey at a wet and muddy Mennaye Field.

Second half tries from Darren Barry, Alex Dancer and Kieran Goss turned the tables on the visitors who had taken a 12-9 lead into the break on Saturday after Kieran Hallett and former Pirates favourite Jonny Bentley exchanged penalties in a scrappy first half.

Life was a lot better for the hosts after the interval of the Greene King IPA Championship match as they worked hard to keep possession and build a strong defensive wall in the rain which fell in Penzance to grind out the result.

The victory had added importance with the next three league games for the Cornishmen coming against the Championship’s top three sides, Worcester, London Scottish and Bristol.

Having defeated nearest rivals Plymouth Albion on December 27, the Pirates went into Saturday’s clash looking to back up the success with another four points.

Just two changes were made to their starting 15, both of which were forced through injuries to props Jack Andrew and Alan Paver with Jamal Ford-Robinson and Chile’s Francisco Deformes coming in.

Familiar faces were in the matchday squad for Jersey with five former Pirates featuring in their ranks in the guise of Grant Pointer, Drew Locke, Joe Buckle, Aaron Penberthy and fly-half Bentley.

The latter had the first say in the game when with two minutes gone, the New Zealander slotted home a penalty after Ford-Robinson fouled at a ruck.

Hallett responded four minutes later with a penalty 25m out to level the scores and this would prove to be the tale for the rest of half with both teams struggling to get a grip of proceedings.

With conditions under foot slippery and the ball like a bar of soap to handle, it was never going to be easy to establish dominance and this showed with just two clear cut chances for tries being produced in the first 40 minute.

Jersey, now coached by former Pirates assistant Harvey Biljon, had the first opportunity at the midpoint of the half when after neat build up, inside centre Lewis Robling knocked-on just ten metres from the line and space in front of him.

For the hosts, they came close just moments before the break when their forwards tried to barge over in a maul, only for referee Tom Foley to say the ball was held up.

Before the break, Bentley kicked home three more penalties with the Pirates being called up at scrums and breakdowns while Hallett responded with two of his own.

If either side was to win, they needed to come out in the second half and simply keep hold of possession and recycle the ball to get one up on the tricky conditions.

This is exactly what the Pirates did so well after the break as they focused on the workable plan which would bring rewards.

Straight from the kick-off, Tongan international Paula Kaho knocked-on, allowing the Pirates to build up several phases across the pitch before lock Barry sneaked his big frame over.

Hallett added the conversion and the Pirates, who were looking pumped and ferocious, saw another long spell of possession rewarded with a try soon after.

They were helped this time by a yellow card to visiting loosehead prop Sam Lockwood as the hosts looked to squeeze through the defence, with the pressure getting the better of the Jersey front rower.

A man down, the away side did their best to keep the Pirates out but a break from Max Bodilly followed swiftly by another by Craig Holland opened the door for Dancer to get an offload and completed a lovely move which Hallett converted.

Jersey were able to build a spell of pressure themselves in the Pirates territory after Lockwood’s time in the sin-bin finished.

But just as they looked set up to jump over the line, Ryan Glynn’s pass on the blindside was read and intercepted by Goss who then showed he had his running shoes on as he sprinted the length of the field to score.

Another Hallett conversion made the gap 18 points and now the Islanders looked deflated.

Following this, the match returned to the standard which was produced in the first half with never side managing to create chances.

Possession went more into the hands of Jersey for the closing 15 minutes, but by now the Pirates defence was loving sliding around in the mud and proved unbreakable.

There appeared to be a forcefield from about ten metres out of the Pirates goal area which the visitors could not get past and although they failed to get a bonus point try, the hosts were delighted with the result.

PIRATES: 15 Bodilly, 14 Goss (May 78), 13 Riley, 12 Dancer (Hendrickson 78), 11 Holland, 10 Hallett, 9 Kessell (Townsend 68); 1 Ford-Robinson, 2 Channon (Elloway 55), 3 Deformes (Davies 59), 4 Carrick Smith (Graulich 55), 5 Barry, 6 Morgan (c), 7 Atkinson, 8 McGlone (Bolwell 78)

TRIES: Barry (43), Dancer (55), Goss (64).

CONS: Hallett 3/3.

PENS: Hallett (6, 18, 27).

JERSEY: 15 Pointer, 14 Locke, 13 Bishop (Lancuba 53, Bishop 63), 12 Robling, 11 Foster, 10 Bentley (Penberthy 77), 9 Glynn (Dudley 65); 1 Lockwood (Lancuba 68), 2 Buckle (Selway 78), 3 Williams (Herriott 68), 4 Rae (c), 5 Campbell (Markham 68), 6 Kaho (Haining 48), 7 Hodson, 8 Noone.

PENS: Bentley (2, 16, 23, 32).

SIN-BIN: Lockwood (53-63).

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Laurie McGlone.