HONOURS were even as Petersfield under-eight Hurricanes fought out an entertaining North East Hampshire Youth League clash with town rivals the Warriors.

The teams met on the 3G pitch at The Petersfield School as their joint home at Love Lane was left unplayable by the seemingly endless winter rain, but neither side was able to take home the bragging rights.

The Warriors started much the brighter, though, catching the Hurricanes cold in the first quarter with an early goal.

There was no doubt that the Warriors were the sharper team in the first ten minutes, keeping Hurricanes goalkeeper James Port and his defence under pressure.

And but for the lively work of Harry Timmons, Oscar Walker and Taylor Pearce in particular at the back and in the middle of the park, the Hurricanes could have found themselves further behind in their first game since the long Christmas break.

Timmons was a constant thorn in the Warriors’ side in the early stages, cleverly breaking up attacks and giving the Hurricanes a foothold in the game.

And one such counter attack enabled Alex Garlant to break, always keeping a step ahead of his marker before sending a shot across the goalkeeper from the right edge of the box which cannoned off the far post and away to safety.

From that point on the Hurricanes, who moved up a division following a Christmas reshuffle, took the game by the scruff of the neck, with Connor Redpath, Walker and Pearce typifying their team’s desire, helping win the midfield battle time and again.

Timmons then shot across goal and saw another shot sail narrowly wide just before the break, while Finlay Stafferton forced a smart save from the Warriors’ competent goalkeeper with a shot from the edge of the box.

And the Hurricanes’ pressure finally paid off when the determined Garlant received a throw from Pearce before weaving his way past three players, getting to the byline and crossing low for Timmons to loop the ball over the Warriors goalkeeper.

With all to play for in the final quarter, Walker made an impressive tackle to quell a Warriors raid before the Hurricanes were awarded a dramatic late penalty after Garlant was bundled over in the penalty area.

Garlant stepped up to take the kick, only to be denied by an acrobatic save from the Warriors goalkeeper who then pulled off a second reflex save as Garlant looked to hammer the rebound into the net.