THE Pirates of Penzance’s first home outing in seven weeks ended with a 24-21 success over North Petherton on Saturday.

After full-back Ben Wragg led the hosts out on his 100th appearance for the club, an early score looked likely and visiting inside-centre Jack Rees intercepted and ran clear to the posts before adding the conversion.

The hosts soon hit back as young winger Callum Walsh breezed in for a try with inside-centre Rhys Brownfield levelling matters.

North Petherton would regain the lead thanks to a converted try from hooker Sam Williams, and Wragg next celebrated his special day with an unconverted effort that brought the hosts to within two points going into the break.

Pirates winger Jack Keogh put his side in front for the first time, only for Pethy flanker Will Eccleston’s converted try to give the visitors a four-point advantage.

The Pirates were guilty of making too many errors and giving penalties away, though at the very end of the contest they showed their true spirit. Having been under pressure in their own ’22’, and with two personnel in the sin-bin, a welcome penalty award was signalled their way. North Petherton were marched back 10 metres for something presumably said which enabled them to mount a ‘catch and drive’ at the clubhouse corner.

With just seconds left on the clock, it gave them a chance to snatch a victory, and with the various mechanics involved working smoothly, they did so with hooker Wes Eddy being the scorer. Brownfield slotted the extras to make it 24-21.

PENZANCE and NEWLYN: Wragg, Walsh, Semmens, Brownfield, Keogh; Marr, Dugdale; Taylor, W Eddy, Best; Nowell, Somers (capt), Hutton, Carroll, J Eddy. Replacements: Prowse, Martin, Hocking.

Tries: Walsh, Wragg, Keogh, Eddy; Convs: Brownfield (2); Pens: N/A.

Pirates’ man-of-the-match: Jamie Eddy.