Petersfield Town 3 Farnborough 2: IT’S a night which will go down in Rams folklore – the night Petersfield defied the odds to beat Jamie Cureton and co at Love Lane.

This was one of the greatest victories in the history of Petersfield Town – and that is no exaggeration as Petersfield’s performance was that good.

It was no lucky victory for the Rams either – they fully deserved their 3-1 lead during the second half as the visitors failed to live up to their pre-season billing as the title favourites in Division 1 Central.

This result is even more remarkable when you consider the backdrop to the situation at Love Lane – Ian Saunders’ departure nine days before the start of the season, a mass departure by some of the squad and the current team pieced together from the remaining players by caretaker manager Andy Neal.

But out of this adversity has come strength and togetherness for the Rams, which has now been rewarded with their first three point haul of the season.

They got off to the perfect start by taking the lead after just 11 minutes. A Petersfield player was sent tumbling inside the penalty area and Dan Simmonds buried his spot kick into the bottom corner of the net.

Farnborough though always looked threatening going forward and they drew level six minutes later. A low cross from the right ran across the six yard box and the vastly experienced Cureton guided his shot into the net.

The visitors should have gone in front on the half hour mark when Jon Onunga cut in from the right and keeper Anthony Ender had to tip his snap shot over the crossbar.

Moments later Eddie Smith found space inside the penalty area and Ender could only watch as he put his first shot against the post and then fired the rebound wide of the target.

Petersfield retook the lead ten minutes into the second half with a goal described as “world class” by some watching in the crowd. Jordan Neal won the ball on the halfway line and played it inside to Simmonds.

He moved forward with the ball and then unleashed a shot from 35 yards out that keeper Joel Driscoll tried to keep out but it flew past him and into the net.

The Rams were in dreamland on 68 minutes when they went 3-1 up. Jordan Neal latched on to a ball over the top of the Farnborough defence and raced clear. His shot was partially blocked by Driscoll but Simmonds was following up and tucked the loose ball into the empty net.

It nearly got better still for the home side when another ball through the middle caused chaos in the home defence. Simmonds’ run on goal was stopped but Jordan Neal picked up the loose ball and tried a shot from 55 yards out which dropped just wide of the post.

Farnborough set up a tense finish to the match on 72 minutes when they pulled a goal back. Good build up play on the left eventually saw the ball worked across the edge of the penalty area to Cureton and his quick feet worked him some space from which to hit an unstoppable shot past Ender and into the roof of the net.

The visitors put the home goal under considerable pressure in the closing stages but the Rams’ rear-guard action soaked up everything thrown at them.

The closest they came to equalising was on 83 minutes when Jack Barton picked up the ball 30 yards from goal and his shot just rose enough to take it over the crossbar.

Petersfield: Ender, Searle, Warren, Woodford, Hyde, Sackman, B Neal (Hoare), Wedlake, J Neal, Miroy (Green), Simmonds. Subs not used: Needham, Buckland, Hill.