Petersfield Town 2 Bedford Town 1: PETERSFIELD Town secured their fourth home league win in a row with a battling performance against Bedford Town.

Both sides did well to cope with the heavy Love Lane pitch and the Rams raced into a 2-0 lead before half time.

The visitors had the better of the play in the second half but Petersfield withstood everything the Eagles threw at them to secure the three points.

Bedford had the first chance of the afternoon after only three minutes but Josh Beech steered his header from a cross from the right well wide of the target.

Petersfield almost took the lead three minutes later when Joe Brigg’s low cross from the right was met by Andy Todd, who threw himself low to head the ball on goal but his effort was well saved by keeper Enol Ordonez Suarez.

The loose ball rolled into the path of Howard Neighbour who, with the empty net at his mercy, blasted the ball well over the crossbar.

Ben Farrell then tried his luck for Bedford from 35 yards out and although the shot had Petersfield keeper Anthony Ender scrambling back towards his goal he made a comfortable save.

Neighbour saw Suarez dive full length to his left to push his shot around the post before he fired Petersfield in front on 16 minutes.

A good cross into the box was only half cleared by Bedford and Petersfield worked the ball forward through the left hand side of the penalty area. It eventually found Neighbour and his shot could only be helped on its way into the roof of the net by Suarez.

Briggs then had an excellent chance to score when he went clean through but he hit his shot well over the crossbar.

The Rams made it 2-0 on 22 minutes when a ball forward bounced under a defender’s foot and Neighbour ran on to it in the penalty area before hitting an unstoppable shot into the corner of the net.

Joe Richardson almost made it 3-0 on 38 minutes when he won possession of the ball on the right hand side of the penalty area. His first shot was charged down but his second effort had to be turned on to the post by Suarez and the ball was cleared to safety.

Bedford had the better chances during the second half and certainly had enough to get back on level terms.

Nathan Hilaire got free down the right hand side and his low cross into the box was acrobatically turned away by Ender to prevent another Bedford player from having a shooting opportunity.

Ender was then saved by the top of the crossbar when he strayed a little too far off his line and an inswinging corner almost caught him out.

Bedford thought they had pulled a goal back when Hilaire finished off an attacking move but it was ruled out for offside.

They did get themselves on the scoresheet on 77 minutes when Suarez pumped forward a deep free kick from the half way line and it found its way to James Peters who slid the ball home from around eight yards out.

Petersfield had a few more chances in the closing stages as the visitors chased an equaliser and the best of those fell to Neighbour but his hooked volley went straight at Suarez.

The visitors had their best chance to draw level with six minutes remaining when James Hillsdon fired off a low shot which Ender had to dive full stretch to his left to push the ball around the post.

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