PETERSFIELD Hockey Club’s ladies’ first team crashed to a thumping 5-0 defeat at league leaders Poole on Saturday.

Poole started the match well, but Petersfield’s Sebastian-Todd, B Jones and Llewelyn started solidly to deny the home side.

It became apparent quite quickly that physicality would play a big role in the game as Anna O’Kelly was abruptly disposed of her stick during an attacking run.

P Jones in goal put in a heroic effort for the visitors, clearing a shot from the top of the D before regaining her balance and sliding to cover a deflected attempt.

Petersfield re-started with an attacking 16-yard-hit but faced a well drilled and solid press, leaving Easton with few options as she found many of the usual channels blocked.

Spotting a space in the press, Easton hit the ball through the gap between the attackers to find Hedges hanging high behind the back line and create a one-on-one with the keeper, but she was denied.

Both teams created opportunities in the first half as Petersfield frustrated the league leaders.

Poole were awarded a short corner late in the half.

A well-drilled routine saw them slip the ball left to give the striker a clear line to the backboard to give the home side a 1-0 lead at half time.

Petersfield continued to attack in the second half. Keach defended from the front and put Poole’s backline under pressure and managed to dispossess them.

J Bardoe, who had been hassling the backline all match, was unable to convert a crossed ball as she was forced to the floor by a defender, and Petersfield were awarded a penalty corner.

Hedges injected to Anna O’Kelly, who deflected it back, and Easton was unable to make the connection to pull the scores level.

Poole, unable to convert goals from open play, made the most of any opportunity to create a short corner in the Petersfield D.

Even with their polished set plays Petersfield were able to deny them multiple times, with Sebastian-Todd consistently shutting down and deflecting shots away.

Despite her best efforts, this wasn’t always enough to remove the danger and Poole managed to pick up a loose ball and find the backboard.

The home side scored three more goals in the second half as they ran out 5-0 winners.

Petersfield never faltered throughout the match and continued to attack and apply pressure until the 70th minute, with Poole having to resort to some last-ditch defending at times.

Anna O’Kelly faced the full brunt of this when a well-worked play out of the Petersfield backline linked the ball forward. O’Kelly received the ball on the run behind the Poole defensive line and was running in for a one-on-one with the keeper when she was taken out by a body tackle.

The visitors were awarded the penalty, but were unable to convert it.

Petersfield will hope to return to winning ways when they entertain Andover Ladies’ second team at Dunhurst School on Saturday (2.45pm).