Petersfield Mens 2nd XI versus Fareham 6s

Here we go! 2nd half of the season starts with a win.

Blessed with great availability Petersfield 2nd XI were able to field a very able and well balanced side to face Fareham 6s. The last time we played them we drew 4:4 after being 3:1 up for most of the game.

Petersfield started the game well applying pressure in the Fareham last quarter. We won a couple of short corners that were struck too high, but first on the score sheet was Nick Budden who took a ball out of the air to fire home bouncing the ball into the floor of the goal.
The Petersfield pressure continued and new joiner Will Cave marked his debut with a well struck goal from the edge of the D into the bottom right corner

After the first 15 minutes the initial excitement died down and Fareham started to get some chances of their own. They were good on the counter attack and Peterfield paid the price after losing possession in mid field. The first half ended 2:1 to the home team Fareham scoring a rolling ball goal just before half time.

After the half time team talk we changed things up moving Budden into defence and making use of the midfield talent on the side. Jed Temple, Will Cave and Duncan McDermot put in a solid performance in the middle of the park.

We looked a lot stronger for the half time changes and Dan Cleiffe, a constant menace to the Fareham defence scored his first goal of season (after many many attempts) by carefully drawing out the keeper and calmly playing it around him to gently slot home. That familiar scoreline 3:1

Fareham grew into the game and got stronger. Ian Brockwell had a particularly good game blocking shots and clearing the Peterfield lines to hold off the attack. Nick Budden also saved a short corner strike on the line to hold the score.

Being able to rotate players proved to be vital for the last 10 minutes of the game Tom Cooke Priest found his form to continually turn over possession. Great holding ball play from Josh Bardoe kept up the torment, and the unrelenting Ben White ensured that we didn’t capitulate like last time. In the last 10 minutes we won a short corner. Dan Cleiffe carefully picking out Ben White who hit the post, Josh Bardoe slotting in the rebound.

The game was played in good spirit - no cards, and no players given a talking to.

The 4:1 Victory has moved us from 9th to 7th in the table, a great start to 2022.

Next week is Gillingham away