Petersfield Town 3 Fleet Town 1: PETERSFIELD Town left it late but they did enough to deservedly pick up all three points from this Hampshire derby last Wednesday.

Two goals in the last nine minutes by striker Howard Neighbour secured the victory by a comfortable scoreline in the end for the Rams.

There was plenty of early action with the visitors getting their first chance to score in the opening minute. A free kick from the right dropped at the feet of Dan Rousell but he missed the target with his shot.

At the other end Oliver Bailey took the ball past a defender and had his shot blocked before Danny Thompson tried to hit home the rebound but his effort was blocked by keeper Ryan Pryce.

Petersfield took the lead after four minutes when the ball was played forward from midfield through the middle of the Fleet defence and Bailey raced clear before hitting a rising shot past Pryce, who had gone to ground too early.

Fleet then had a number of good chances midway through the first half. Ben White shot straight at keeper Anthony Ender and Rob Carr got on the end of a flick-on by Simba Mlambo and the Rams keeper gathered his shot at the second time of asking.

Carr then pulled the ball back to Mlambo who saw his goalbound shot deflected wide for a corner and Ben Toye then tried his luck from the edge of the area but his shot was half blocked and rolled through to Ender.

Gary Norgate went close to doubling Petersfield’s lead when he had the time and space in midfield to unleash a shot on goal which Pryce had to dive full length to his left to turn around the post.

However, the visitors drew level three minutes before half time when the ball was played into the box and wasn’t cleared. Eventually Mlambo found the space to square the ball to Carr and he had a simple tap-in from close range.

Both sides continued to trade chances during the second half. Aaron Blaxall hit a low shot which Ender did well to get down to and turn around the post and then Mlambo burst into the box and created some space for himself to shoot, only to see his effort bounce off the top of the crossbar.

Petersfield went close on the hour mark when Lewis Hyde met a corner with a bullet header but it went straight at the keeper and then a good passing move between Neighbour and Joe Briggs saw the ball eventually played into the path of Hyde but his shot just went past the far post.

Ender then produced a fine one handed save to his right after 72 minutes to deny Mlambo and two minutes later Rousell ran the ball out of defence and played it up to Mlambo. Ender blocked his shot and the loose ball ran to Carr but he smashed his shot well over the target.

Petersfield retook the lead on 81 minutes in bizarre circumstances. The Rams broke forward in numbers and the first cross into the box was blocked. The second found Neighbour but his effort to turn the ball towards goal spiralled high into the air. As the defence and keeper stood and watched Neighbour reacted as the ball dropped towards the goal and was on hand to touch the ball over the line from a yard out.

With five minutes remaining Fleet almost grabbed an equaliser when substitute Josh Francis’ header had to be cleared off the line.

A minute later Gary Norgate got the ball in midfield, went past two defenders and fired a shot at goal which went straight into the hands of Pryce.

Petersfield sealed the victory two minutes into injury time when a long ball forward found Neighbour. He took on a defender and the ball was half blocked before he ran on towards goal and rolled his shot past Pryce and into the net.

Petersfield: Ender, Searle (Richardson), Wain, Brice, Sackman, Norgate, Hyde, Thompson (Silver), Neighbour, Briggs, Bailey (Jerrard). Subs not used: Neal, Cope.