Petersfield 1 City of Portsmouth 6: PETERSFIELD entertained runaway league leaders City of Portsmouth, who needed one point to seal the title.

Petersfield started well and took the lead after a period of pressure. The home side won a penalty corner and a well-worked routine led to J Atkinson putting Petersfield 1-0 up.

At this point the visitors began to press forward and work the gaps. Grinstead, Terry, W Atkinson and Hughes-Stanton worked hard to control the middle of the pitch, with Hawkins, Clay, Marlow and Alder protecting the D, but the visitors scored just before the break to make it 1-1 at half time.

In the second half Petersfield struggled to press the visitors in the same fashion as they had in the first half.

City of Portsmouth started to exploit the gaps which had been created, and from this the second and third goals soon arrived to make it 3-1 to the visitors.

Frustration set into the hosts and Hughes-Stanton, Harding, Clay and Hawkins all spent time in the sin bin.

A penalty stroke was then conceded and despite Smith’s best efforts the visitors went 4-1 up.

Petersfield continued to battle away and J Atkinson and Hind had some attempts on goal which were kept out by the City of Portsmouth keeper. In the last ten minutes of the match the visitors scored two more goals to seal a convincing 6-1 victory.

Petersfield travel to Salisbury on Saturday (1pm) and will be looking for three points to pull away from the bottom of the league.