Brave call by Wigglesworth allows Eden in for winner

NOTTINGHAM recorded a first win in 2018 thanks to a dramatic last-ditch penalty goal after Pirates looked assured of victory.

The successful kick from fly-half Tiff Eden left the teams analysing a match which had seen the Pirates stride into a 10-0 lead after 13 minutes.

However, as Pirates boss Gavin Cattle conceded afterwards, they failed to take all their chances in a first half when they looked the more decisive.

“Ultimately, if you don’t take your chances you get what you deserve,” Cattle said.

Pirates led 17-8 early in the second half but Nottingham became more and more dominant helped by the away team’s steady concession of penalties.

“Yes, it’s huge relief,” Ian Costello, Nottingham’s head coach, said about a welcome win. “I’m also really proud of the squad who have stuck to their task. It’s been a tough period.

“And I must also thank our loyal supporters. They’ve been frustrated by the results since Christmas but it has not been for a lack of effort.”

This was Nottingham’s first victory in the Championship since the 28-27 win at Ealing in November. A run of four defeats and a draw has dropped Costello’s squad out of the top four and another loss looked distinctly likely up until the final play of this match.

Pirates, who scored first after barely a minute when centre Nicolas de Batista scooted over, led 17-8 following a second try, wing Matt Evans finishing off from a rolling maul in the 52nd minute.

Nottingham, who had played their best rugby towards the interval culminating in a neat try outwide for No.8 Shane Buckley, added a second through a try off a driving maul from hooker Jimmy Stevens.

Eden added the extras to leave Nottingham 15-17 down only for the fly-half to miss a straight forward penalty six minutes from time. This miss prompted Pirates to run down the clock only for the tactic to fall foul of referee Tim Wigglesworth just before full time.

Even then defeat looked unlikely as Nottingham used a penalty to set up a line-out on the Pirates’ 10-metre line.

The line-out produced a frantic last attack which led to the referee making a crucial call when he penalised Pirates for kicking the ball out of a ruck in an effort to stop Nottingham from lining up a drop-goal.

Instead, Eden kicked the penalty to make up for his earlier miss.