Godalming Town 4 Petersfield Town 1: GODALMING eased their way to victory in this A3 derby clash on Tuesday night.
Petersfield made the brighter start to the game but once the home side got their noses in front on 28 minutes they didn’t look back and could have run up a bigger scoreline than they did.
The home side went close to scoring in the opening minute when Graeme Purdy managed to knock Lewis Hyde off the ball and his low shot to the near post had to be pushed behind for a corner by Josh Young – who became the sixth goalkeeper to be used by the Rams this season.
The visitors went close to scoring on 15 minutes when Harry Giles played the ball up from midfield to Howard Neighbour and his cross to the far post found Joe Briggs but he slid in and put the ball over the top.
Godalming then got their first goal after they won a free kick on the right hand edge of the penalty area. Iven Kumanda whipped in the free kick and it flew past everyone and found the far corner of the net.
Moments later Will Hutton burst clear from the midfield and after Young had raced off his line, the Godalming midfielder tried to chip his shot into the empty net but it missed the target.
Petersfield went close again on the stroke of half time when a cross from the left found Briggs unmarked in front of goal but he couldn’t keep his header down.
The Rams had a further chance on 53 minutes when Neighbour received the ball on the edge of the box and hit a low shot towards goal but it was tipped around the post by keeper Richard Ossai.
Godalming doubled their lead on the hour mark when a free kick from the left was crossed into the near post and Purdy knocked the ball home as Young dived the wrong way in his guesswork as to where the shot was going.
It was 3-0 five minutes later when a corner from the right presented Jake Kempton with a free header and he ensured his effort found the back of the net.
The Rams gave themselves a brief glimmer of hope on 71 minutes when the ball was worked forward through the middle of the pitch and this put Neighbour clear and he hit a low shot across Ossai and into the net.
That hope was short lived, however, as a minute later a free kick was played into the near post and Kempton’s flicked header flew into the back of the net.
Petersfield almost grabbed their second goal with ten minutes to go when Neighbour again got clear of the home defence. His first effort was partially blocked by Ossai and then his second shot hit the post and as Joe Richardson tried to fire home the rebound, his shot was blocked by a defender on the floor.
Godalming nearly got a fifth goal with five minutes remaining when Kempton broke clear and Young raced off his line to block his first effort but the home player took the ball around the stranded keeper and rolled his shot towards the goal but Jamie Ford got back to clear the ball off the line.
Petersfield: Young, O Searle, Wain (Norgate), Green, Hyde, Ford, Richardson, Giles (Geddes), Neighbour, Briggs, Buckland. Subs not used: Sackman, Needham, Saunders.