Portland United 2 Petersfield Town 2: PETERSFIELD Town ensured their 200-mile round trip to Portland was very worthwhile after returning home with a point from last season’s Wessex Premier Division champions.

The Rams scored their equaliser with the last kick of the game and their battling, solid performance was well worth the point they achieved on Saturday.

The result was even more remarkable when you consider that due to injury and unavailability, they travelled to Dorset with only 11 fully fit players, with goalkeeper Luke Eaton occupying the bench and still not 100 per cent fully recovered from his injury problems.

Rams coaching staff Mark Summerhill and Tim Farmer set their side up to be difficult to beat and the champions had a long afternoon of trying to break down Petersfield’s stubborn rear-guard action.

Ryan McKecknie flashed a header wide early on and Alex Godfrey then latched on to a through ball and took it into the penalty area before hitting a shot from the edge of the six yard box which keeper Matt Shortt got down quickly to to turn around the post.

The home side took the lead on 12 minutes from the resulting corner. The ball was partially cleared by the visiting defence before it fell at the feet of Sam Buckler, who turned the ball over the line from close range.

Petersfield then equalised on 22 minutes with an early contender for goal of the season. After good work down the left hand side, the ball was knocked down into the path of Luke Walker on the edge of the penalty area.

He hit his shot on the half volley which curled away from keeper Steve Boore before it dropped into the far corner of the net.

After this Shortt had to remain alert – making an easy save from Godfrey’s shot before he had to punch away Ross Doidge’s ferocious effort on goal.

Petersfield then had two excellent chances to take the lead. Marcus Bedford played a great diagonal ball from the right into the path of Sean Evans. He got a shot away but was then brought down inside the penalty area – it looked a good shout for a penalty but the referee waved away Petersfield’s protests.

The Rams then broke quickly from defence and Harry Tremlett played an excellent through ball into the path of Walker, who took the ball into the penalty area before sliding his shot past Boore but it agonisingly just went past the far post too.

Shortt was called upon again to make another save two minutes before the interval – this time tipping an inswinging corner from the right away from the top far corner of his goal.

The second half continued in much the same way as the first half had gone, with Portland probing and trying to find a way through the visiting defence while Petersfield looked dangerous on the counter attack.

On 50 minutes a long ball over the top sent Walker scampering clear again and after spotting Boore off his line he tried to lob his shot over the keeper, who only just jumped high enough to get his hands to the ball and prevent it dropping into the net behind him.

At the other end Portland went close when Godfrey’s cross from the left found McKecknie at the far post but his effort on goal bounced up kindly for Shortt to make the save.

A cross from the right by Max Buckler was only just headed over the top by substitute Sachez Baker, and then Sam Buckler had a shot easily saved from Shortt before the Rams keeper completely missed a corner he came for and the same player’s header towards the empty goal was hacked off the line.

Baker then raced clear of the Petersfield defence only to see his shot blocked by Shortt’s foot and McKecknie put the rebound wide from the centre of the penalty area.

Portland eventually scored a second goal five minutes from full time. After good play down the left Petersfield initially cleared their lines but Doidge picked up the ball and crossed it to the far post where substitute Lewis Whyton headed home into the net.

Baker was then sent clear again but he put his shot wide with only Shortt to beat and at the other end, Petersfield pushed forward in search of an equaliser and Walker was played into some space inside the box and his shot hit the outside of the far post.

Baker had the chance to seal all three points again but this time he crashed his effort against the post and Whyton couldn’t put the rebound into an open goal when Olly Kershaw got back to block his effort behind for a corner.

Petersfield got their equaliser in the fourth minute of injury time. Jordan Geddes’ cross-field pass found Walker on the right hand side of the penalty area.

His first touch took him clear of the home defence before he delivered an inch perfect cross across the face of goal and Evans stole in between two defenders to turn the ball into the roof of the net from close range.

Petersfield: Shortt, Elward, Kershaw, Tremlett, Kennedy, Geddes, Bedford, Kendall, Evans, Walker, Essai. Sub not used: Eaton.