Beaconsfield SYCOB 3 Petersfield Town 2: SO CLOSE but yet so far – Petersfield Town deserved at least a point from this Monday night encounter in West London but they returned home with nothing once again.

Their spirited performance deserved much more than defeat by the odd goal but such are the fortunes they are having to endure during what is becoming a wretched season for the Rams the outcome probably comes as no surprise to their long-suffering followers.

But this was their best performance for some time – they showed real grit and determination throughout the 90 minutes and looked nothing like a team anchored to the bottom of the table and whose points tally has still not broken into double figures yet for the season.

Petersfield took the lead after 15 minutes when they broke out of defence and Max Smith spread the ball out to the right to Billy Connor. The striker cut inside towards the edge of the penalty area before unleashing a low shot which beat keeper Mohammed Ayoub at his near post.

The home side almost drew level five minutes later when Aaron Berry got a through ball under control inside the box but he fired his shot high and wide of the target.

Beaconsfield equalised on 27 minutes when a free kick from central midfield was floated into the box and Guri Demuria’s header looped up over keeper Conor Beattie and dropped into the net.

The home side went in front two minutes later when a corner from the left was knocked back towards goal and Charlie Losasso nodded the ball into the roof of the net.

Petersfield could have got back on level terms almost straight away when a corner dropped at the feet of one of their players at the far post but he couldn’t apply the finishing touch before the home defence cleared the danger.

Four minutes before half time Stuart Green sent Ryan Woodford racing towards goal but his marker did enough to prevent him getting any power behind his hooked shot on goal.

A minute after the re-start Woodford went closer still to netting an equaliser when he was put clear inside the penalty area but his marker did just enough to ensure the Rams player put his shot wide of the target.

At the other end Berry forced Beattie into making an acrobatic save to keep his effort from 35 yards out of the goal and Komal Llewellyn-Reid headed over from a corner.

Petersfield got back on level terms after 62 minutes when they won the ball in midfield before flicking it on into the path of Connor, who chipped the ball over Ayoub as he raced out of his penalty area and his shot dropped into the empty net.

Play went from end to end for a period after this and Matt Andrews cut inside from the left before hitting his shot straight at Ayoub. The ball then went straight down the other end and Berry hit his first time shot straight at Beattie.

The winning goal came on 78 minutes for Beaconsfield when they worked the ball forward from a throw in on the half way line and when it was crossed into the near post a defender slipped as they tried to clear the ball and Berry turned and fired home a low shot into the corner of the net.

Losasso then had a shot beaten away by Beattie before substitute Ollie Bones found space at the far post but shot straight at the Petersfield keeper.

In injury time a corner from the right was floated towards the far post and although two Petersfield players had the chance to net a late equaliser, the final header was a glancing one which went wide where as anything on target would have brought the scores level again.

Petersfield: Beattie, Tucker, Jones, Cripps (Davies), Geddes, Wycherley, M Smith, Green, Woodford, Connor, Andrews (D Neal). Sub not used: James.