Petersfield Town 2 Basingstoke Town 3: PETERSFIELD Town were unfortunate to lose out in this Southern League Cup match against Premier Division Basingstoke Town on Tuesday night.

In fact they could well have won the game late on if they had put away two chances where Petersfield players found themselves with only the keeper to beat.

Both clubs fielded young sides and they produced an entertaining game thanks to the open, flowing football played.

The Rams took the lead after five minutes when they won a free kick on the edge of the penalty area. The first shot was partially blocked but it was then played to the right and crossed back into the box.

It took a couple of deflections before bouncing up invitingly for Callum Coker who flicked his header into the net from six yards out.

The visitors drew level on 18 minutes from a long punt forward down the middle of the pitch. George Hallahan timed his run to perfection to beat the Rams’ offside trap and he then fired a low shot into the bottom corner of the net.

The visitors should have taken the lead on the half hour mark when Adam Francis tried to latch on to another long ball over the top but he couldn’t get the ball under control and it bounced through to Petersfield keeper George Hill.

On 38 minutes Petersfield almost capitalised on two good passages of play which saw them get the better of the Basingstoke defence but on both occasions the final crosses were just too high for anyone to reach to turn the ball towards the goal.

The Rams went close again in the opening minutes of the second half from two crosses from the left. Alfie Whittingham was the first to try his luck and then substitute Dan Simmonds put his effort just wide of the target.

However, Basingstoke went 2-1 up on 54 minutes when good passing and movement opened up the Petersfield defence and Francis found space inside the box to slam a low shot into the net.

Whittingham was then stretchered off with a horrific looking facial injury – fortunately for him hospital checks were to reveal later that he had not suffered any broken bones.

Petersfield equalised on 66 minutes when Simmonds was sent crashing to the ground as he tried to go past his marker inside the penalty area. He then dispatched his spot kick into the net.

But they went behind again three minutes later when a corner from the left was curled into the box and Harry Brown was not picked up and he shot low into the net.

The visitors almost extended their lead on 75 minutes when a corner was cleared to the edge of the box and Aaron Jarvis’ shot only just fizzed over the crossbar.

Petersfield dominated the closing stages and with seven minutes remaining Simmonds latched on to the ball and took it into the penalty area before firing a hard shot into the near post which keeper Kieran Greene easily gathered.

With three minutes remaining a long ball played forward bounced towards goal when a Basingstoke defender slipped and fell and substitute Jordan Neal took it into the box before firing off a shot which went just over the crossbar.

In the final minute another long ball was not dealt with by the visiting defence and this time Simmonds latched on to it and with only the keeper to beat, he too lifted his effort over the crossbar.

Petersfield: Hill, B Neal, Graham, Cripps, Page, Geddes, Miroy, Giles, Coker (Simmonds), Whittingham (Kendall), Corsaro (J Neal). Subs not used: Searle, Needham.