SEDGLEY PARK 28, PENZANCE & NEWLYN 27 by Peter Collins: SEVENTEEN points behind at half-time, it looked like defeat number six for Sedgley, but a second half comeback, capped by a try and conversion in the fifth minute of injury time, helped grab victory from the jaws of defeat for a Park side that is slowly getting to grips with life in National One.

Yet it didn't look good for a long time.

As early as the fourth minute the Pirates nosed in front, Wes Davies scooting through Sedgley's defence to go over for the first try. Stand-off Lee Jarvis slotted over the conversion and it was 0-7 to the visitors.

On 15 minutes Jarvis kicked a penalty to make it 0-10, but Sedgley hit back with strong running from both backs and forwards, linking well to push the ball from one wing to the other.

The forwards in particular were in inspirational form, scrummaging better than their opponents and more than holding their own in the line-outs.

Park's first points arrived on 24 minutes when stand-off Blair Feeney kicked a penalty to make it 3-10.

Five minutes before the break Penzance won a scrum 35 metres out from the Sedgley line and Tim Cowley burst through before offloading in the tackle to scrum-half Gavin Cattle, who had the easiest of routes to the posts for try number two, which Jarvis kicked to take the score to 3-17 to the Pirates.

It became 3-20 on the stroke of half-time after Jarvis kicked a huge penalty from the centre spot, although the difference in the scoreline in no way reflected the difference between the two sides, because there wasn't that much.

Indeed, seconds before French referee Jean Luc Rebollal blew for half-time, Park winger Jon Feeley intercepted a pass in his own half and sprinted down the right touchline.

He kicked the ball towards the posts for the chasing Jim Naylor and he was only just beaten to it by Davies.

Whatever player-coach Tim Fourie said to his charges during the break had the desired effect, as they emerged to outscore the visitors 25-7 in the second half.

They were up against a fresh front row, but the Pirates having gambled that the Tigers were a spent force at 20-3 down, miscalculated, as it was to be a huge effort from the Tigers' pack that laid the foundations for a memorable turnaround in fortunes.

From a Pirates' 22-metre drop out on 46 minutes, Feeley ran from left to right before passing to Feeney, who drove the ball down the middle. The Park forwards won good ruck ball and it was fed out to hooker Richard Oxley on the right.

He broke through the Pirates' cover and passed to the supporting Huw Thomas, the prop side-stepping two would-be tacklers before touching down. Feeney converted and the Tigers were back in the game at 10-20.

He added another penalty kick to make it 17-20 and put the Tigers on course for at least a bonus losing point.

But then disaster appeared to strike.

Jon Skurr tried to feed Naylor, but the bobbling ball sat up nicely for Pirates' winger Marc Sweeney, whose timely interception was rewarded with an easy run to the line, Jarvis then converted to make it 13-27.

However, the Tigers simply refocused and refused to be beaten.

Richard Welding's cross-field run set up Ian Voortman on the right.

He broke inside before slipping the ball to Naylor and he raced in to make it 18-27.

A successful conversion would have put Park once more on track for a losing point, but Feeney's conversion attempt cannoned off a post.

However, he made up for that and another miss with a successful 30-metre kick to make it 21-27 with the clock showing the 80 minutes were up.

With a losing point in the bag and referee Rebollal indicating time to be added on, Sedgley proved that where there's time there's hope.

From a line-out 27 metres out Erik Lund leapt high to gain possession and create a driving maul from which the ball was fed along the back line to Welding.

He had run across from left to right again to join the attack and when he was put through he raced down the right touchline, used fellow winger Feeley as a decoy to draw the markers before cutting inside and galloping over for a dramatic 85th minute try in the corner to make it 26-27.

The final act of the game was Feeney's conversion attempt and it looked good before the wind started to push it out.

Somehow it swung back on course five metres out to sail inside the left hand post and seal a dramatic first win for the Tigers, lifting them off the bottom of the table and leaving the Cornishmen shell-shocked.

SEDGLEY: de Jager, Feeley, Naylor, Voortman, Welding, Feeley, Wilkinson, Skurr, Ponton, Senior, Lund, Fourie, Thomas, Oxley, Roberts. Subs: Keys, Collie, du Plessis, Stockdale, Hassan, Bullough, Glynn.