PETERSFIELD Hockey Club’s ladies’ first team fell to their first defeat of the season on Saturday when they lost 2-1 at home to Southampton Ladies’ third team.

The visitors started well and won a short corner after a ball deflected high in the D. Jones deflected the shot wide, but a Southampton attacker gathered the ball before the defenders could and scored.

Southampton soon scored a second goal from open play.

Petersfield then clicked into gear and took the game to Southampton. An attacking play was well read by the Southampton keeper and the ball was deflected off the base line for a long corner. A quick pass to Eames on the edge of the D drew three defenders, leaving Faithfull free to take a shot. A panicked defender drove it straight off the back line, which gave Petersfield a penalty corner opportunity.

Eames injected to Beaton, who crossed the ball to Bardoe. Her shot was blocked by a defender’s foot on the line, and a penalty flick was awarded to Petersfield. Easton stepped forward and placed the ball into the left-hand corner of the goal, just above the diving keeper’s stick, to make it 2-1.

Petersfield continued to press in the second half but were thwarted by an inspired Southampton keeper.

Despite Petersfield being camped out in Southampton’s D for almost the entirety of the second half, they were unable to find an equaliser as their unbeaten start to the season came to an end.

Petersfield travel to league leaders Poole on Saturday.