Cornish Pirates beat Ampthill in clash at Camborne

Cornish Pirates ended their five-game Champ losing streak as they beat Ampthill 45-24.

The game was played at Camborne's Recreation Ground as work continues to repair Pirates' Mennaye Field home after damage from Storm Goretti.

Pirates ran in six first-half tries - Sol Moody scoring four of them - as they led 38-7 at the break.

The visitors hit back after the interval to secure a try-scoring bonus point but Pirates moved up to eighth in the table with their sixth win from 14 games.

"It was a really good, strong first-half performance," joint-head coach Gavin Cattle told BBC Radio Cornwall.

"I know we had a shaky start at lineout time, but then we regathered ourselves and showed that we've got some real power in that pack.

"We'll take the five points, but on the negative side then is that the challenge for us moving forward is how do we keep that level of performance when making changes?

"There were a couple of [sin] bins in there that second half, but having said that even when we were up to 15 we just dropped off collision-wise which is something we're focusing on the minute."

Arthur Relton's 12th-minute score put Pirates in front before Moody crossed for his quartet of tries and Chester Ribbons added a sixth in the opening period.

But Ampthill hit back as Harrison Dakin went over early in the second half before Matty Ward got the home side's seventh try.

Oscar Wilson and Harrison Courtney went over for the visitors inside the final 15 minutes as Ampthill went home with a point.

"We haven't had any contact time as a team on this pitch," added Cattle.

"I brought the kickers here on Thursday, but that was more around getting to know the slope, just to have a look what they're coming up against.

"It was the players' day today and it's great to see them experience that."