Rams come undone as impressive home run ends

Both teams were up against it in the early throes of the game, with steady rain on the pitch not proving conducive to passing football.

The hosts, though, were able to find the breakthrough with a well-worked opener on 17 minutes.

A through-ball from midfield was latched onto by Oliver Bailey who tucked a low shot under the Beaconsfield goalkeeper and into the net.

Moments later Bailey was played through again in a similar move and his effort was heading towards goal until Sonnie Low blocked the shot into the side netting.

On 26 minutes, the visitors almost got back on level terms.

A defensive slip from the Rams allowed Aaron Berry to run clear into the penalty area but home keeper Anthony Ender managed to get a hand to the shot and turn it around the post.

With three minutes remaining in the half, Jordan Neal should have doubled Petersfield’s lead.

Joe Briggs’ through-ball to Bailey was half-cleared, but Neal blazed over the crossbar from 12 yards out.

Petersfield squandered another chance to double their advantage early in the second period.

David Jerrard curled a free-kick against the post from the edge of the area and Joe Richardson contrived to hit the rebound straight into the keepers’ hands with the whole goal to aim at.

It was a miss the hosts were made to rue when Beaconsfield drew level on 62 minutes.

Berry tried his luck from 30 yards which Ender dived full length to save, but Petersfield couldn’t clear the ball and when it fell to Aaron Minhas, he coolly curled his shot into the corner of the net.

The visitors got what proved to be the winning goal on 71 minutes when they won a free-kick 20 yards from goal.

Tristan Campbell curled the ball around the wall and although his shot hit the post, it rebounded into the net off of the luckless Ender’s back.

PETERSFIELD TOWN: Ender, Searle, Wain, Green, Hyde, Ford, Richardson, Neal, Jerrard, Briggs, Bailey

Meanwhile, in the Wessex League premier division, Moneyfields won 1-0 at Lymington thanks to Gary Austin’s goal.

AFC Portchester recorded an emphatic 4-0 victory against Folland Sports but both Horndean and Fareham Town saw games fall victim to the weather.

– GRAEME MOIR