Silenced by the Rams! Portchester loanee Greenough bags winner as Petersfield end Andover New Street’s unbeaten Wessex League run

Petersfield Town top scorer Archie Greenough, right, in action for AFC Portchester. Picture by Daniel Haswell

The hosts entered the fixture boasting one of only three unbeaten league records in the top 10 tiers of English football.

But the Rams are one of the country’s most in-form non-league sides and have now gone 17 league and cup matches without defeat.

They have won 14 of those, with one of the draws coming at Wessex Premier title challengers AFC Stoneham in the Russell Cotes Cup - a tie the Purples won on penalties.

Greenough’s second half winner last night came just a few minutes after New Street had been reduced to 10 men - a player sent off for kicking out at Alex Barsa.

It was the AFC Portchester loanee’s 17th goal in just 19 league and cup starts, plus three off the bench.

Rams co-boss Pat Suraci - who has returned to the club after a short spell coaching under Mark Molesley at Gosport Borough - told The News: ‘It was really good, a well deserved three points.

‘It shows we can win against anybody, home or away.

‘We didn’t change anything (due to playing a team protecting an unbeaten league record). The team talk was the same as it was against Andover Town last weekend. We just need to focus on ourselves.’

Petersfield are now just three points adrift of leaders New Milton, the last time to beat them - 2-1 in the league back on October 22.

They will go level with the New Forest club if they can win the return fixture this weekend, and a 2-0 victory would see them leapfrog their opponents.

Petersfield could even go top with a win, but that would also require Newport IoW to lose at home to Millbrook.

For the third game running, the Rams fielded Gosport Borough defender Finn Walsh-Smith at Andover New Street.

The 18-year-old made regular Boro first team appearances under Shaun Gale at the start of this season.

After recovering from an injury, Molesley asked Suraci and joint-boss Joe Lea if they could give Walsh-Smith minutes.

Petersfield have yet to concede in the three league games the teenager has appeared in.

With a top five finish looking likely, and a Wessex League Cup semi-final at Fareham to look forward to as well, it could be a season to savour for the Rams.

Suraci said: ‘It’s important to manage people’s expectations. Petersfield were fighting relegation for the last few years.

‘The aim this season was to finish in the top 10, so we’re exceeding expectations. It’s in our own hands, but we have to remember where the club has been.

‘You always want something to play for, you want every game to matter - and that’s how it feels at the moment.’

Loughborough Students (United Counties League Premier) and Shoreham (Southern Combination Division 1) are now the only clubs in the top 10 tiers of English football still unbeaten in league action.