Petersfield Veterans 5 Salisbury Striders 2: A FINE display of forward play from Cornelius was the difference between Salisbury Striders and a threadbare Petersfield Veterans.

Petersfield started well. Cunliffe ran the game from midfield, while Parker and Pruden looked dangerous in attack. The back three of Cornelius, Williams and Wilson, supported by Broadmeadow in the Petersfield goal, kept Salisbury at bay.

Petersfield’s pressure was rewarded by a penalty corner, which Cunliffe dispatched with aplomb.

The away side responded almost immediately when Petersfield’s back three proved insufficient to counter a six-man Salisbury attack, with a simple tap in at the far post the result.

Petersfield continued to attack but failed to convert a handful of penalty corners – with Parker’s effort hitting the far post the closest.

Eventually, Cornett’s precise pass was swept in by Davis to give the home side a 2-1 lead at half time.

At half time Petersfield moved Cornelius up front as a target man, due to injury, with Budden moving back into defence. This proved a turning point, and Petersfield went 3-1 up when Parker’s crash across the D was turned in nonchalantly by Cornelius at the far post.

This was swiftly followed by Pruden converting a well-worked penalty corner, flicking the ball into the roof of the net, and Cornelius swept in a cross from close range.

Salisbury pulled one back with a tap in at the far post after a well-worked attack down the right.