Petersfield Town 7 Chalfont St Peter 0: YOU WAIT 221 minutes for a goal and then seven come along in just 56 minutes.

Petersfield Town ended their three hour and 41 minute goal drought in some style by thrashing Chalfont St Peter on Wednesday night.

Just as important as far as manager Ian Saunders was concerned afterwards, his side kept their first clean sheet in the Southern League since October 28 – ending a run in Division 1 Central without shutting out the opposition of 15 games.

The first half showed no signs of the goal deluge about to come with both sides struggling to carve out any decent goalscoring opportunities.

Petersfield created the early half chances in the game. On four minutes Jordan Neal played the ball on into the box and Jamie Ford put his header wide of the target.

On 19 minutes Howard Neighbour put Joe Briggs clear on the right and his cross was just missed by Oliver Bailey at the near post before it flew across the face of goal.

Two minutes later Lewis Hyde had a free header from a corner on the left but he put his effort over the crossbar and at the other end, Adam Kirby flicked on a corner at the near post but it missed all of his team mates as the ball flew across the face of the goal.

Petersfield took the lead on 36 minutes following good play between Briggs and Neighbour. Briggs found some room on the right before cutting inside and laying the ball off to Neighbour. He then laid the ball on for Briggs who curled his shot from 20 yards out past the dive of keeper Michael Power-Simpson and in off the inside of the far post.

The visitors went close to scoring three minutes later when the ball looped up into the air as it was played into the box. As it dropped Victor Osobu tried to get a shot away but keeper Anthony Ender managed to partially block the ball and it looped up and over the crossbar.

Just before half time Bailey went close to scoring as he tried to divert a cross from the left over the line but his effort went just wide of the far post.

Petersfield got their second goal on 52 minutes when Neighbour played the ball forward into the path of Briggs on the right. He fired a cross towards goal and Bailey stooped low in front of the keeper to bundle the ball over the line.

Goal three came six minutes later when Joe Richardson found space on the right hand side before he pulled the ball back to Briggs. He then curled a shot over Power-Simpson from just inside the penalty area and into the net.

The visitors had a couple of half chances to score with both Osobu and Kofi Lockhart-Adams hitting fierce rising shots towards goal but on both occasions Ender was equal to them and made two simple saves.

Bailey should have got his second goal on 65 minutes when he was sent clear of the defence. He held off the challenge of Ryan Wharton before sliding his shot past Power-Simpson as he raced off his line but his shot hit the post and Neal missed the chance to convert the rebound.

It was 4-0 on 73 minutes when Briggs was sent clear of the Chalfont defence and after cutting in from the right hand side, he sent a low shot past Power-Simpson to complete his hat-trick and take his goal tally for the season to 21 goals.

On 79 minutes and after the visitors had tried to play several probing passes to beat the Petersfield defence, they eventually managed to get a player clear on the left. He immediately squared the ball to Osobu who was in space in front of goal but he got his shot horribly wrong and pulled it wide of the goal.

The goal feast continued on 87 minutes when a through ball from midfield sent Bailey racing clear and he knocked the ball past Power-Simpson, who had tried to intercept his run 25 yards from goal, and the Rams striker had the simple task of hitting his shot into the empty net.

Bailey then completed his hat-trick and took his goal tally to 13 goals from 17 appearances for the Rams when he was sent clear again.

This time he cut back once in the left hand side of the penalty area before firing his shot into the roof of the net.

The rout was completed two minutes into injury time when the ball was crossed into the middle from the right and Neighbour was on hand to slide his shot into the net.

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