North Greenford United 1 Petersfield Town 2: PETERSFIELD Town battled their way back from being a goal down at half time to win a scrappy game at bottom of the table North Greenford United on Saturday.

After a poor first half performance they improved after the interval and did enough to ensure they returned south with three valuable points.

Manager Ian Saunders spoke in the build up to the game about how vital it was to get the victory and in these kind of matches it doesn’t matter how you win just that you win – and that is what his side did.

The home side should have had more to show for their spirited first half performance but they spurned a number of good chances to stretch their early lead.

They went in front on just four minutes when they had attempted a couple of long balls to try and put the Petersfield defence in trouble and their third attempt at this got the desired effect. Matt Riggs burst clear into the penalty area as he latched on to the through ball and he despatched a low shot past keeper Anthony Ender.

North Greenford should have doubled their lead almost straight from the kick-off when they regained possession and this time Aaron McLeish got clear only to blaze his effort over the top with only Ender to beat.

Petersfield had what looked a clear penalty shout turned down after 18 minutes when Oliver Bailey was sent sprawling in the penalty area as he tried to cross the ball and moments later they had their first shot of the game when the ball found Stuart Green 25 yards out and his effort whistled just wide of the post.

Bailey then raced through but decided to pass rather than shoot at the vital moment and the ball was cleared and Joe Briggs then got clear on the right and crossed low into the near post where Howard Neighbour beat keeper Josh Kensit to the ball but his effort was blocked and went behind for a corner.

As the two players made contact with each other it became apparent Kensit had been seriously injured in the incident and at half time he had to be taken to hospital with a deep wound in his left arm.

Bailey tried to turn Green’s long range effort towards goal but it ran wide and then at the other end Glen Yala broke free and Ender had to beat away his fierce shot at his near post.

Moments before half time Adam Brice’s header from a corner was cleared off the line before the home side raced down the other end and Glen Yala set Ike Nzuruba up but he blazed well over when well placed to score inside the penalty area.

Petersfield started quickly in the second half to try and turn the momentum of the game back in their favour and David Jerrard and Gary Norgate both fired shots straight at the stand-in keeper in the opening minutes of the half.

The Rams drew level though on 50 minutes when the ball was played up the left wing and a low cross was diverted by Bailey past the keeper and into the net.

Five minutes later Petersfield should have been in front when Neighbour latched on to a miss-hit back pass to flick the ball past the keeper but he made a mess of his attempt on goal, screwing his shot wide of the open net.

On 62 minutes a throw in on the left saw Neighbour cross the ball into the box and Bailey had a free header on goal but he screwed his effort wide.

Four minutes later Bailey sent the ball right to Briggs who then crossed low to the far post where Neighbour was waiting. He tried to side foot the ball home but it looped up, rolled along the crossbar before dropping into the keeper’s hands on the other side of the goal.

Petersfield got what proved to be the winning goal on 68 minutes when Briggs raced into the penalty area on the right hand side and the keeper slid out and sent the Rams’ winger flying. Neighbour made no mistake with his penalty by chipping his shot over the keeper’s dive.

The home side couldn’t muster any chances on the Petersfield goal after that and Brice almost extended the Rams’ lead in the last minute of the game when he raced forward from his own half and into the home side’s box but he fired his shot high and wide of the target with just the keeper to beat.

Petersfield: Ender, Hyde (Searle), Jerrard (Todd), Brice, Sackman, Ford, Green, Norgate, Neighbour, Briggs, Bailey. Subs not used: Richardson, Wain, Lowley.