Uxbridge 3 Petersfield Town 4: PETERSFIELD Town won 4-3 for the second match running as they clung on to victory in a pulsating Boxing Day match at Uxbridge.

The game had everything – seven goals, constant twists and turns, refereeing decisions which baffled both sides and two teams who served up an entertaining game of football.

Uxbridge took control of the game in the first half when they went in front after only five minutes. Wayne Carter’s through ball evaded the Rams defence and Matthew Woods ran on to it, took the ball around keeper Luke Eaton and hit the ball home from close range.

Petersfield tried to hit back immediately when Lewis Hyde and Howard Neighbour worked the ball on to David Jerrard and his shot from the edge of the box was deflected just wide of the goal. From the corner Hyde’s header was heading towards goal before Jerrard tried to help it on its way but he hooked the ball over the crossbar from close range.

The Rams then had to hold out against a string of chances for the home side midway through the first half. On 18 minutes Lewis Cole stung Eaton’s gloves with a fierce shot and six minutes later the Rams keeper blocked Anthony O’Connor’s close range effort with his legs. From the corner Mark Dennison put his free header into the side netting.

Cole then drove forward from midfield and shot straight at Eaton from the edge of the box and Woods then got clear inside the penalty area and Eaton had to smother his shot at his near post.

Eaton pulled off his best save of the half when Carter curled his free kick from the edge of the penalty area around the wall and the Petersfield stopper pushed his shot to safety with a full length dive to his left.

Petersfield then came back into the game in the closing stages of the first half and had two clear penalty claims waved away by the referee – first Joe Richardson was clearly taken out as he ran into the box and then a defender stopped another Rams attack with his arm.

Hyde then shot just over the crossbar, Joe Briggs had a goalbound shot charged down by a defender and Hyde almost put the Rams level when his low shot almost evaded the clutches of Uxbridge keeper Paul McCarthy.

Petersfield continued to dominate at the beginning of the second half with Jerrard shooting straight at McCarthy and Briggs delivering the perfect cross across the face of goal but there was no one there to turn the ball home.

The Rams finally drew level on 56 minutes when Hyde flicked on a corner from the left and it went inside the far corner of the net.

Both sides then exchanged a string of decent chances to score. Jerrard latched on to a long through ball before cutting inside from the right and firing over the crossbar when well placed to score.

Reece Grant and Woods went close for Uxbridge when they both fired over the crossbar from the edge of the penalty area and at the other end Briggs had a header turned around the post by McCarthy.

From the corner, Jerrard had a shot blocked by the keeper and Hyde put his header from the rebound into the side netting at the far post.

The Rams took the lead on 65 minutes when Jerrard got on the end of another through ball on the right. He cut inside before delivering a low cross into the path of Briggs, who completely miss-hit his first attempt to fire the ball home but he made no mistake with his second, shooting home from close range.

Petersfield made it 3-1 four minutes later when the ball was played down the left to Briggs, who then played the ball into Neighbour who was standing inside the penalty area. He turned his marker before unleashing a low shot which flew into the net between McCarthy’s legs.

However, the game took another twist when the home side pulled a goal back just four minutes later. The referee ruled that Woods had been fouled as he ran into the box and after picking himself up the Uxbridge striker fired home his penalty.

The game then turned back towards Petersfield when they made it 4-2 on 78 minutes. Briggs found space down the right and after cutting inside he curled an unstoppable shot into the far corner of the net.

Eaton then made two excellent saves to maintain the visitor’s two goal advantage – first blocking a goalbound shot with his legs and then tipping a free kick from 20 yards out over the crossbar. The home side then had a goal disallowed for offside.

With four minutes remaining Petersfield peppered the home goal with shots but McCarthy made three outstanding saves in a row – making point blank saves from Neighbour, Briggs and Richardson.

With two minutes left the home side pulled back another goal when a cross from the left found Grant in front of goal. His shot was blocked by Eaton but the rebound rolled to substitute Abobaker Eise and he tapped the ball in to make it 4-3.

Petersfield: Eaton, Searle, Wain, Brice, Jerrard, Ford, Green (Lowley), Hyde, Neighbour, Briggs, Richardson.