Petersfield Town 1 Portland United 3: PETERSFIELD fell to their fifth defeat in a row against the Wessex League champions at Love Lane on Saturday.

Both sides could be described as being shadows of their former selves, with memories of being in the Southern League for the Rams and topping the Premier Division for the visitors becoming fast fading memories on afternoons like this.

The home side put in an improved performance after their thrashing at Hamworthy on the previous weekend but were still left searching for their first league points since their visit to Portland at the beginning of September.

Petersfield’s current bad run of luck was typified by the opening goal of the game for the visitors after only seven minutes.

Billy Mitchell’s low cross from the right wasn’t heading towards any of his team mates when Grant Dove sliced the ball into his own net from inside the six yard box as he tried to clear the danger.

The home side could easily have found themselves in front midway through the first half with two chances of their own.

On 27 minutes Joe Boxall was put clear behind the Portland defence and from the right hand edge of the penalty area he chipped the ball over keeper Sam Lillington, who had raced off his line, but his shot bounced in front of goal and then high and wide of the target.

A minute later Luke Kendall created an opportunity for himself when he cut inside his marker but he flashed his shot from the edge of the area over the top of the goal.

At the other end on 33 minutes Sanchez Baker had a good chance to score but he put his header from a corner wide when well placed in front of goal.

Petersfield almost drew level three minutes into the second half when they won a free kick on the left hand edge of the box. The free kick was taken quickly and curled into the near post but ended up going just the wrong side of the post into the side netting.

Portland doubled their lead on 59 minutes when Sanchez won back possession of the ball on the left after initially being tackled. Quick passing saw the ball worked to Ryan McKechnie inside the penalty area and he tucked his low shot past Luke Eaton and into the net.

Harry Tremlett tried his luck from long range but his shot flew straight into Lillington’s hands and the visitors then got their third goal on 70 minutes.

The home defence were caught napping and this allowed McKechnie to find space inside the penalty area and he had the time to fire his shot low into the net.

Petersfield pulled a goal back on 90 minutes when the ball was played up into the box and knocked down into the path of Boxall, who smashed his shot into the net.

The same move brought Boxall another goal two minutes later and could have led to an improbable draw for the Rams but the linesman ruled he was in an offside position when the attacking move started.

Petersfield: Eaton, Thomas (Mortimer), Kershaw, Small, Dove, Plackett, Evans, Kendall, Boxall, Walker, Tremlett. Subs not used: Summerhill, Bedford.