Cornwall has never held much attraction for Canterbury and their dismal record in the duchy continued as they slumped to their fifth league defeat in six matches.

In the process they leaked six tries to a Redruth side who were sharper in attack, more clinical in their finishing and took control of the second half.

This latest failure was a disappointment because for the first half hour it seemed that the real, competitive Canterbury had at last turned up.

They dominated possession and territory but, crucially, lacked the flair to break down a solid home defence and give themselves the spur of points on the board. The city side undid much of their good work by conceding penalties in prime attacking areas.

In contrast, Redruth’s occasional visits upfield were put to full use by their backs, with tries for Sam Parsons and Murray Westren, and on the cusp of half time a defensive muddle handed the home side the opportunity to push their lead to sixteen points.

The first two Redruth scores were a snapshot of the difference betwen these two sides; the ability to make space and use it to unlock the defence were a lesson for Canterbury. Both tries were converted by Ashlety Hosking but Guy Hilton’s penalty goal kept the city club in some sort of contention.

The hammer blow was delivered as they failed to clear a defensive lineout quickly enough and were forced into a hurried kick. It handed Redruth their chance and Number Eight Kyle Marriottt extracted the full price with the try.

That score changed the nature of the game. Redruth came out for the second half bubbling with confidence and for a dispirited and often disjointed Canterbury the wheels started to come off.

The Cornish pack rumbled into action at an early scrum before a long, accurate pass created a clear overlap for wing Matthew Bowden and they had victory well within their sights.

Canterbury emptied the replacements bench but Marriott’s second touchdown, followed by Tom Notman’s second conversion put the game beyond their powers of recovery

They battled hard against the odds for Aiden Moss to find his way over the line after Dan Smart made the initial probe but, after a lengthy injury delay while home fly half Rhodri McAtee was treated, hooker Ben Priddey scored his side’s sixth after more scrum demolition.

In a late, defiant gesture the city club did create a quality score after George Micans had made a pounding 40 metre break. This time the option chosen was quick and astute and sent Charlie Kingsman over for a try which Ollie Best converted via a bounce off the post.

Canterbury: M. Beaumont, M.Rosvall. T.Best, A.Veale (repl A.Moss) C.Kingsman, G.Hilton (repl O.Best), D.Smart, C.Townley (repl S.Kenny), N.Wakefield (repl T.Collins), A.Wake-Smith, R.Cadman, T.Burns (repl R.Corr), T.Sherson, R.Ward, G.Micans