Petersfield Town 2 St Ives Town 0: Petersfield Town secured only their second league win of the season in convincing style by beating high-flying St Ives Town on Saturday.

You’d have thought the table was upside down by the way these two sides played – the Rams looked far better than their bottom of the table position and the visitors struggled to live up to their second in the table placing.

The game got off to a slow start with neither side able to test the other with any shots on goal.

The first chance didn’t come until the 29th minute when St Ives won a free kick on the left, 25 yards out and Phil Draycott’s curling effort had keeper Anthony Ender scrambling across his line and he was relieved to see the shot bounce off the post.

Two minutes later Petersfield had the ball in the net when they worked the ball well down the right and Joe Briggs’ cross took a deflection and landed at the feet of Howard Neighbour, who tucked his shot home but the linesman’s flag was raised for offside.

The Rams worked the same move a minute later and again Briggs’ cross found Neighbour, who this time took the ball around keeper Tim Trebes but his goalbound shot was blocked by a defender and turned behind for a corner.

The game did then burst into life on 35 minutes when Sean Wain attempted to clear the ball on the left and as he made his clearance Ben Seymour-Shoue went in on the Rams defender with an horrendous looking two footed challenge and the referee had no choice but to show him a straight red card.

Petersfield then took the lead seven minutes into the second half when Alex Lowley found some space on the left hand side and his cross was met by Neighbour’s header. This was partially blocked but the ball rolled through to Briggs and he knocked the ball home at the second attempt.

The Rams almost doubled their lead nine minutes later when Jamie Ford shot on goal after receiving a cross from the left but a defender managed to block his effort.

It was 2-0 on 68 minutes when a free kick from the left found the head of Ford, whose flick on bounced off the far post and rolled into the path of Lewis Hyde, who ran on to the loose ball and smashed it into the net.

On 77 minutes St Ives managed to test Ender when a free kick from the left was partially cleared but the ball landed at the feet of Steven Gentle on the edge of the penalty area. His low shot took a deflection but the Petersfield keeper easily gathered up the ball.

Two minutes later and Petersfield almost nicked a third goal when a ball over the St Ives defence put Briggs clear and he lifted the ball over the advancing Trebes but his effort dropped wide of the target.

The visitors almost set up a grandstand finish with six minutes remaining when Ender punched a corner towards his own goal and the ball was cleared off the line. But the Rams couldn’t get it clear and the ball eventually fell to substitute Jared Cunniff whose shot had to be beaten away by Ender.

Petersfield: Ender, Searle, Wain, Thompson, Hyde, Ford, Briggs, Przespolewski, Neighbour (Dixon), Richardson (Green), Lowley (Cope). Subs not used: Woodford, Read.