Ladies 1’s Hang On To Keep Top Spot

Petersfield continued their unbeaten season with a home fixture against league newcomers Bournemouth 4’s. Sitting mid-table the visitors looked like being their toughest opponents yet, and so they were.

Despite six changes in personnel from the previous week, Petersfield looked well organised and got off to a solid start, attacking from the first pushback through Easton and Forrest in the centre of midfield. A. Leach and L. Day linked well up the left channel, and an early entry into the D resulted in a first but unsuccessful penalty corner. As the half progressed Eames and R. Leach began to make the right side an effective attacking option too, exchanging passes to cut out the advancing Bournemouth defenders, with O’Kelly in the centre trying to offer supporting runs.

A physical Bournemouth side started to put together some attacks of their own. Wassenberg, looking very assured at the heart of the defence, able to dispossess the advancing forwards and spread the ball wide to Sebastian-Todd, always making herself available on the left, or to Llewelyn, tenaciously protecting the right flank.

Petersfield continued to build from the back, trying to make the ball do the work, and another entry into the opposition D led to a second penalty corner. Initially saved by the keeper, a powerful strike from Easton was then chipped into the net by the oncoming O’Kelly.

Bournemouth ventured forward again and, despite some dogged defending, managed to get the ball past the imposing Jones in the Petersfield goal to level the scores.

With half time approaching Petersfield surged forward again, moving the ball quickly through Eames and Easton in the midfield, and then on to A. Leach, who skilfully found L. Day coming in off the left wing. Day’s cross reached R. Leach goal hanging and she was able to squeeze it past the Bournemouth goalie for Petersfield to retake the lead.

The second half saw Petersfield lose captain Easton (off to the airport), but the spectating K. Day stepped in to give a confident performance on the right side of midfield and keep Petersfield’s number at 11. The Petersfield ladies earned a succession of penalty corners but near misses from Eames and Forrest saw their much deserved third goal looking elusive. A Bournemouth corner saw number one runner Sebastian-Todd take a hefty blow on the knee (as usual!) and shortly afterwards, with the Petersfield players pressing tightly on the edge of the Bournemouth D, Eames was also caught by a high ball to her thigh.

2-1 was starting to look like it might be the final score until a slightly ragged Petersfield conceded a second goal. Keen not to let their heads drop and desperate to take all three points, Petersfield upped the ante with A. Leach and L. Day working the ball up the left wing time and again. Finally the break through came with a pinpoint pass from Forrest outside the D to the Bournemouth backpost, where the incoming R. Leach slotted home her second and Petersfield’s third goal.

A nervous but energetic last few minutes saw the Petersfield ladies hang on for a well deserved fourth win of the season, keeping them on top of Hampshire Division 3.

Written by A.O'Kelly