Welsh finish with fine win

12:46pm Monday 28th April 2008

London Welsh made sure of seventh spot in National League One with an emphatic 31-18 win at Cornish Pirates.

The Exiles recovered from conceding two tries in the opening three minutes to secure a try bonus-point, thanks to first-half touchdowns from Aaron Liffchak, Paul Sampson, Simon Etheredge and Noah Cato.

Trailing by 15-points at the break, Iva Motusaga's try within two minutes of the restart brought the home side back into contention, but Welsh rode out an error strewn second 40 to guarantee them seventh place and their highest finish in four seasons.

That made a disastrous start for Welsh a distant memory.

From the kick-off Mickey Wilson's box kick found Rhodri McAtee and after taking the ball into contact, the Pirates spread play across the field and Paul Devlin waltzed through the Welsh midfield before his floated pass found Vunga Lilo.

The Tonga international diving over in the corner with barely 40 seconds on the clock.

Oliver Thomas' conversion attempt was off target, and the fly half was soon watching a second conversion attempt sail wide off the posts, after the Pirates crossed for their second try immediately from the restart. Motusaga bursting clear before delivering the final pass for scrum half James Moore to score.

But Welsh haven't worked their way up the table since the start of the New Year by just rolling over, and soon set about working their way into the match.

On a firm pitch and played at a breakneck speed, this encounter had all the early hallmarks of being a high scoring affair, and the 4,000 plus were not to be disappointed, although it would be Welsh that would dominant the remainder of the first-half scoring.

A succession of penalties conceded by the home side allowed Welsh fly half Matthew Jones to take the play into the Pirates territory, as Welsh cleared their heads. And despite the Pirates causing Welsh problems on their own lineout ball, the pressure was mounting.

Etheredge was adjudged held up, after being driven over the Pirates line, but it would be a short reprieve for the home side, as from the resulting scrum, Aaron Liffchak continued his rich vain of try scoring form to dive over from close range. Jones added the extras.

A penalty conceded by Stephen Winn at the restart, allowed Jones to take Welsh back into Pirates territory, and Jonathan Mills, Wame Lewaravu and Sunia Koto Vuli all drove the ball on, sucking in the Pirates defenders.

And when the ball was released wide, Jones' pass was helped on and Sampson crossed for his 11th league try of the season. Jones converted and the Welsh comeback was complete.

Although the restart saw Welsh penalised for blocking, with Thomas making it third time lucky to bring the home side to within a point, Welsh were in confident mood and immediately wiped out Thomas' strike.

Again it was the restart that proved the catalyst, as Thomas' attempted clearance was charged down by Etheredge, and this time the Welsh flanker would not be denied as he collected the bouncing ball to score. Jones converted.

Thomas' ill-fortune in front of the posts continued as his penalty attempt was off target, and the Pirates cause wasn't helped when prop Alan Paver was despatched to the bin for ten minutes, after a skirmish with Liffchak.

The home side would not be a man down for long however, as Paver was soon joined by Hywel Jenkins, as Welsh infringed at the breakdown on their own 22. Thomas' luck though showed no sign of changing, as his penalty attempt rebounded off an upright, and straight back into the grateful arms of the No.10.

The Pirates cranked up the pressure but the Welsh line held firm and after several minutes, a penalty for holding on allowed Jones to clear the danger.

Back in Pirates territory, Welsh were to prove far more clinical as Paul Mackey bounced off the tackles, before Lewaravu carried the ball on. The Exiles went blind and through the tightest of gaps, Howard Quigley released Noah Cato to cross for his second try in as many games for the Exiles. Jones converted.

Graham Knox's whistle would bring to an end a pulsating first-half; an incident packed opening 40 that the second half, in scoring terms, would struggle to live up, although the start from the home side would briefly suggest otherwise.

Welsh were unable to keep the Pirates pinned in their own half from the kick-off, and McAtee released Adryan Winnan down the left touchline, and Motusago crossed. With welsh struggling to get their hands on the ball, the Exiles had to weather an early second-half storm from a fired up home side, but a high tackle on Jones gave the Welsh No. 10 a simple penalty chance that he was in no mood to spurn.

The second-half would descend into a physical stalemate, punctuated by knock-ons and forward passes, with the Pirates dominating the possession stakes, but struggling to break down the Welsh defence.

A late Tomas Marks penalty struck a post and nearly ended with Brian Tuohy racing away only to be hauled down short just of the line by Sampson's brilliant last ditch tackle.

But Welsh inflicted only Pirates' third home defeat of the season to finish the campaign on a high.

Welsh: P Sampson, N Cato, R Jewell, P Mackey, A Cadwallader, M Jones (T Marks 73min), M Wilson, D Williams, S Koto Vuli (A Kwasnicki 76min), A Liffchak (P Doran Jones 58min), H Quigley (B Thomas 54min), W Lewaravu, J Mills (K Burke 68min), S Etheredge, H Jenkins.

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