Petersfield Ladies 3 Bournemouth Ladies II 2: PETERSFIELD Hockey Club’s ladies’ first team continued their winning start to the season with a 3-2 victory against Bournemouth’s fourth team.

Despite six changes in personnel from the previous week, Petersfield looked well organised and got off to a solid start, attacking from the first push back through Easton and Forrest in the centre of midfield. A Leach and L Day linked up well on the left channel, and an early entry into the D won the home side their first penalty corner of the match.

As the half progressed Eames and R Leach began to make the right side an effective attacking option too, exchanging passes to cut out the advancing Bournemouth defenders, with O’Kelly in the centre trying to offer supporting runs.

A physical Bournemouth side started to put together some attacks of their own.

Wassenberg, looking very assured at the heart of the defence, was able to dispossess the advancing forwards and spread the ball wide to Sebastian-Todd, who always made herself available on the left, or to Llewelyn, who tenaciously protected the right flank.

Petersfield continued to build from the back, trying to make the ball do the work, and another entry into the opposition D led to a second penalty corner. After the initial effort was saved by the keeper, a powerful strike from Easton was then chipped into the net by the oncoming O’Kelly to give Petersfield the lead.

Bournemouth ventured forward again and, despite some dogged defending, managed to get the ball past the imposing Jones in the Petersfield goal to level the scores.

With half time approaching Petersfield surged forward again, moving the ball quickly through Eames and Easton in the midfield, and then on to A Leach, who skilfully found L Day coming in off the left wing.

L Day’s cross reached R Leach, and she was able to squeeze the ball past the Bournemouth goalie for Petersfield to re-take the lead.

The second half saw Petersfield lose captain Easton, but K Day stepped in to give a confident performance on the right side of midfield and keep Petersfield’s number at 11.

The Petersfield ladies earned a succession of penalty corners, but near misses from Eames and Forrest meant the third goal remained elusive.

Sebastian-Todd took a hefty blow on the knee and shortly afterwards, with Petersfield’s players pressing tightly on the edge of the Bournemouth D, Eames was also caught by a high ball to her thigh.

The hosts became slightly ragged and they conceded a second goal as the visitors got back on level terms.

Keen not to let their heads drop and desperate to take all three points, Petersfield upped the ante, with A Leach and L Day working the ball up the left wing time and again.

Finally the breakthrough came with a pinpoint pass from Forrest outside the D to Bournemouth’s back post, where the incoming R Leach slotted home her second and Petersfield’s third goal.

A nervous but energetic last few minutes saw Petersfield Ladies hang on for a fourth win of the season, keeping them top of the table.