Shaftesbury 3 Petersfield Town 0: PETERSFIELD slumped to a disappointing defeat on the road at Shaftesbury on Saturday.

The Rams travelled west looking to build on their unbeaten run of two games in the league and in the opening exchanges of this match they looked the better side and looked likely to stretch that good run of form further.

But an injury to central defender Sean Evans after only 15 minutes seemed to change the momentum of this game in the home side’s favour as Petersfield did not carry the same threat due to their enforced changes.

The Rams started well and almost went in front on three minutes when Luke Walker picked up the ball in midfield and from 35 yards out he tried to take advantage of the stiff breeze at his back to lob the ball past home keeper Dan Card but his effort dropped inches wide of the post.

Two minutes later and Josh Wycherley tested Card again with a low shot from 25 yards out which the keeper got down to his right to push away from goal.

Following Evans’ departure with a leg injury, Shaftesbury took the lead with their first chance of the game on 21 minutes.

A throw in on the left was worked into the box and the ball was then put across goal from the byline and Sam Smith had the simplest of tasks to tap the ball home from close range.

Walker went close again eight minutes later when he tried to curl a shot home following a neat one-two with substitute Matt Roberts but his shot went straight into the keeper’s hands.

The home side almost doubled their advantage on the half hour mark when a long through ball found Malachi Benjamin and after making his way into the penalty area, he shot across keeper Luke Eaton but his effort bounced back into play off of the foot of the far post.

Eaton had to be alert again four minutes later to prevent Ashley Clarke from scoring – the Shaftesbury player hit his shot from 25 yards out and the Rams’ keeper had to get across to his left to beat the ball away.

At the other end, Walker then had another two chances to score. On 41 minutes his low shot was easily gathered up by Card as he dived to his left and a minute later Will Essai got free inside the box before pulling the ball back to Walker whose shot from close range was blocked by the keeper’s body at his near post.

Petersfield went close again two minutes into the second half when a free kick was curled into the penalty area from the left but Ed Plackett steered his header straight into the arms of Card.

On 51 minutes a cross from the left found Essai at the far post but he put his header straight at Card and two minutes later Grant Powell went close to netting an equaliser but his curling effort took a deflection so it dropped just the wrong side of the post from Petersfield’s perspective.

On the hour mark a cross to the far post from the right found Walker but he could not direct his header on target.

Shaftesbury doubled their lead on 63 minutes when the ball was played to the far post after good work on the left and Jack Mitchell slotted the ball home.

As Petersfield heads dropped Shaftesbury looked to run up a larger victory margin – first they had a shot blocked from close range and then a goal was disallowed for offside.

The scoring was completed on 83 minutes when a clearance fell to substitute Sean Colohan 30 yards from goal. With the wind behind him and the time to steady himself he unleashed an unstoppable shot into the roof of the net.

It nearly got worse for the Rams in injury time when the ball was cleared down the left and after being chased down it was pulled back across the face of goal to Clarke, who skied his effort well over the top from inside the six yard box.

Petersfield: Eaton, Gilbert, Kershaw, Wycherley, Plackett, Evans (Roberts), Powell, Small, Boxall (Kendall), Walker, W Essai. Sub not used: Thomas.