CORNISH Pirates joint head coach Gavin Cattle refused to be too downbeat despite seeing his side slip to a 26-19 defeat against visiting Gloucester in their latest Premiership Rugby Cup encounter at the Mennaye Field.

With their squad currently decimated with injuries and unavailability, it would have been easy for the Pirates to lower the flag and surrender there and then against their higher league opponents.

Instead, they produced a battling performance, one brimming with fight, physicality and a huge sense of self pride which, in the end, was rewarded with a deserved losing bonus point.

It was little wonder Cattle sung the praises of his patched-up side in the wake of Friday night’s loss.

“After last week at Ealing, which was a tough day at the office, this was much better from us,” he said. “Gloucester have shown in the Premiership that they’re a side who’ve really rejuvenated their attack this season, but I thought we contend them well for long periods of the game.

“Technically there are things we can work on around certain aspects of the game but, at the same time, I liked a lot of what I saw out there from our lads in terms of their endeavour, their physicality, and the way they were willing to get up off the floor and fight for everything.

“We knew it would be tough, even when they pulled clear after the break, but we kept going throughout and got that bonus point reward at the end. I thought the bench brought some real energy in that second half, but from 1-23 I was very happy with a lot of what we produced.”

In what proved a keenly-contested first half, it was the visitors who broke the game’s deadlock after just four minutes, back-row forward Danny Eite crashing over for the try which was converted by George Barton.

However, the home response was not only swift, but emphatic, reducing the deficit inside minutes as strong carries from Will Trewin and the impressive Hugh Bokenham helped create the opening for lock Matt Cannon to squeeze over.

Both sides huffed and puffed for the remainder of the half, but the scoreboard remained unchanged as they slugged it out on the heavy surface.

On the resumption, it was Gloucester who quickest out of the traps once more. No.8 Albert Tuisue was held up on the like before Eite grabbed his second, rounding off a sustained spell of pressure from the visitors.

Barton converted that score, before weaving his way through the Pirates defensive line to add a third try, before former Pirate Will Butler showed a devastating turn of speed to leave the home defenders floundering as he raced in for the all-important fourth score.

Three scores clear, the Cherry & Whites were in cruise control as they headed towards the final whistle. The Pirates, on the other hand, were far from done and with a fresh injection of energy from their replacements, they duly finished with a flourish.

Having won a penalty, which they kicked to the left corner, Bokenham soared highest from the resultant line-out to set up a close-range maul that replacement Harry Hocking was able to attach himself to the back off, before burrowing over for a decisive score.

Buoyed by Hocking’s effort, the Pirates suddenly had the bit between their teeth as they threw caution to the wind, laying siege once more in enemy territory. Although Gloucester withstood the initial threat, they could not halt the home side’s momentum, which was duly rewarded when Tomi Agbongbon stole over by the posts for a converted score.

The Pirates did their utmost in the dying moments to somehow try and salvage a draw, but Gloucester held firm, shutting the door on the Cornishmen, whose task gets no easier this week with a trip to unbeaten Pool E leaders Exeter Chiefs.

CORNISH PIRATES: Iwan Price-Thomas (Bruce Houston 61); Arthur Relton, Tom Georgiou, Joe Elderkin (Harry Yates 56), Will Trewin; Iwan Jenkins, Dan Hiscocks (Cam Jones 61); Billy Young (James French 56), Sol Moody (Harry Hocking 61), Ollie Andrews (Tom Connolly 51); Alfie Bell (Fintan Coleman 51), Matt Cannon; Josh King, Lucas Dorrell (Tomi Agbongbon 47), Hugh Bokenham (capt).

Tries: Cannon, Hocking, Agbongbon; Convs: Houston (2); Pens: N/A.