Petersfield Town 0 Ashford Town 2: IT’S GETTING better for Petersfield but they are going to have to wait a little while longer before they record their next victory in the Southern League.

The Rams put in an improved performance against a side towards the top end of the table and they made Ashford work all the way for their three points.

The visitors looked lively going forward and in the first 45 minutes Petersfield soaked up any pressure they were put under with relative ease.

After four minutes Mark Bitmead got in behind the defence and had two efforts blocked by tackles before pulling his final shot across the face of goal.

Six minutes later Tommy Brunton took the ball forward through midfield before hitting a low shot from the edge of the penalty area which keeper Matt Petts saved easily.

On 20 minutes Bitmead found space in the box again when he got on the end of a deep cross from the left and his first time shot was blocked by a combination of Petts and defender Matt Graham. The loose ball was put across the face of goal but no one was there to turn it into the net.

On the half hour mark Petts had to turn Bitmead’s free kick from 25 yards out around the post and two minutes into the second half the Rams keeper denied the Ashford man yet again, this time at his near post.

Petersfield then had two chances of their own. Gari Judd won the ball in midfield and played the ball inside to Alfy Whittingham, who in turn played it into the path of Olly Searle but he fizzed his shot wide of the target.

Moments later Judd was in the position to try his luck with a snatch shot but it didn’t have enough power on it to trouble keeper Kav Keadell.

Ashford got their noses in front on 57 minutes when the Petersfield defence found themselves stretched after the visitors moved the ball quickly from left to right. When the ball was crossed in towards goal Dan Fleming got in front of his marker and got enough of a touch to turn the ball over the line.

Petersfield could have been level just five minutes later when a quick free kick saw the ball played to the right and Searle whipped in a cross which both Judd and Harry Giles couldn’t apply the finishing touch to inside the six yard box.

On 68 minutes the home side were almost undone again by some quick play on the right and Fleming had a free header from close range but he put his effort wide of the goal.

However, Ashford made sure of all three points when they got their second goal of the night on 75 minutes. A free kick from the right was floated into the penalty area and the ball was partially cleared towards the edge of the box where Bitmead was waiting, and he cracked a first time dipping volley over Petts and into the net.

Petersfield had a chance to reduce the arrears in the second minute of injury time when a free kick was floated into the box. An attempted clearance bounced back to Petersfield and when the ball was crossed back in Stuart Green put his header wide.

Petersfield: Petts, Searle, Graham, Cripps (Green), Page, Geddes, Tee, Giles, Whittingham, Judd (Sturt), Miroy (Corsaro). Subs not used: Harvey, Wedlake.