GRINSTEAD HITS 20 MARK

Petersfield travelled away to 3rd place Aldershot in their 14th league match of the season where a tough match was anticipated when reflecting on the previous 3 fixtures where Petersfield accumulated 20 goals for and only conceded 2.

Petersfield started the game and passed the ball around all areas to give each player their first touch on the ball and allow them to acclimatise to the bouncy pitch. Aldershot pounced on all players receiving a pass, adding more pressure to the initial worry of whether or not the ball would deflect off the stick to the opposition. Aldershot attacked Petersfield hard for the first 10 minutes of the game which the defence of Parry, Budden, Williams, Alder & Edney kept the Aldershot strikers at bay breaking down a handful of chances preventing the opposition scoring an early goal. Petersfield’s strikers; Hind; Edwards; Horridge & Ramsey created a number of chances yet lacked a final finish to take the lead. As the half continued Edwards won the first penalty corner of the game after striking a defenders foot in the circle after a winding run. Hind’s injection was pin point accurate to Alders stick for a perfect stop at the top of the circle allowing Grinstead to score his 20th goal of the season with a thunderous strike into the bottom left corner. Petersfield with the 1-0 lead pinned Aldershot in their own half and secured a 2nd goal immediately after Horridge chased down the defender, intercepted the pass and slipped the ball across the edge of the circle to Edwards who slapped the ball home underneath the keeper. With the first half coming to a close Aldershot gained a goal back to reduce the lead with some expert passing around the defenders finished off with an excellent dive towards the back post to finish the ball passed across the face of goal.
Aldershot restarted the second half of the fixture and soon found them being harassed by the Petersfield squad; with attackers and wingers pressing high on the defence and the midfield tightly marking all options in the middle causing frustration for Aldershot. Petersfield man Edwards became a key member when starting an attack due to his speed and quick hands causing defenders to be chasing him or fouling him. As Petersfield began to overpower Aldershot with possession, a number of shots were fired at goal where the Aldershot keeper was forced into action repeated saving Aldershot on the line. Budden, Williams & Alder continued to break down any form of attack from the opposition and hold the 2-1 lead in such a tight game. Edwards created a string of penalty corners after being fouled in the circle yet none were converted due to a well drilled Aldershot defence. Edwards was rewarded late in the 2nd half with a second goal with an excellent flick over the oncoming goalkeeper when one v one after sprinting past the last man. Aldershot grabbed a last minute goal 20 seconds before time where Petersfield held the ball until the final whistle was blown to signal a 3-2 win and a 4th win in a row since Grinstead and Alder took over the leadership roles within the team.
Petersfield host 11th place Chichester at Bedales School, 16:30 push back, where a win is expected as the first game saw Petersfield fly to an 8-1 victory in their first meet of the season.
Team: Parry, Budden, Williams, Alder, Edney, Macey, Grinstead ©, Hind, Edwards, Horridge, Ramsey & Dryden-Brownlee