St Ives Town 3 Petersfield Town 0: A LONG week on the road for the Rams came to an end with another disappointing defeat – this time at promotion chasing St Ives Town on Saturday.

Petersfield have covered a total of 432 miles with their trips to Aylesbury and St Ives in just five days but they have no points and no goals to show for their efforts.

This was the most disappointing performance of their Southern League season to date, with too many of the starting 11 having an off day to have a chance of getting anything from this game.

As with their trip to Aylesbury, Petersfield could have no complaints with the result other than not getting some crucial decisions going their way at key moments from the match officials, who again had an indifferent performance.

It looked like the outcome was going to be completely different at the start of the game as the Rams made a bright start to the match and should have been at least a goal up in the opening ten minutes.

Howard Neighbour went close to turning one of a number of good crosses from the right by Joe Briggs into the net from close range but his effort was kept out and a penalty appeal for hand ball was waved away by the referee.

Joe Richardson then picked up the ball 20 yards out after the home defence cleared a corner but his first time effort went high and wide of the target.

The home side took the lead with their first attack of the game on seven minutes. The ball was played down the middle and Ben Seymour-Shove broke clear into the area and as Rams keeper Anthony Ender raced off his line, the home player chipped the ball over his head and into the empty net.

Petersfield were then denied a penalty moments later when Oliver Bailey was brought down from behind on the byline but all the visitors were awarded was a corner.

On 20 minutes Declan Rogers drove forward for St Ives and played the ball up to Andrew Philipps but his shot from the edge of the penalty area went well over the crossbar.

The Rams almost got back on level terms two minutes into the second half when a corner was cleared to the edge of the box and Mike Needham’s rising shot was heading into the roof of the net until keeper Tim Trebes tipped it over the crossbar.

Two corners later Jordan Neal had a decent chance to score but he couldn’t get his header on target after Neighbour flicked the ball on to him.

Seymour-Shove then found some space on the right to unleash a goal-bound shot which Ender had to dive to his left to save and then moments later Seymour-Shove had the ball in the net but the goal was ruled out for offside.

St Ives got their second on 54 minutes when Philipps got on to a through ball as it dropped to the ground, held off the challenge of Rams skipper Jamie Ford and then ran on to fire the ball past Ender and into the net.

The third goal for the home side came on 67 minutes when Seymour-Shove cut inside Sean Wain to put his cross into the path of Philipps who slammed the ball past Ender from close range.

Philipps had a good chance to complete his hat-trick with seven minutes remaining after Petersfield lost the ball. He found some space on the left of the penalty area but his shot just missed the join of the crossbar and post.

Substitute Phil Draycott had a shot easily saved by Ender and then at the other end Briggs worked himself some space on the edge of the box before curling a shot towards goal which Trebes had to dive full length to his right to keep out.

In injury time Neal had another chance for the Rams from a corner but his free header on goal was blocked by a defender.

Petersfield: Ender, O Searle, Wain (Sackman), Norgate (Hyde), Needham, Ford, Richardson, Neal, Neighbour, Briggs, Bailey. Subs not used: Saunders, Buckland, Eaton.