PETERSFIELD Hockey Club’s ladies’ first team returned to winning ways with a 3-1 victory at Yateley Ladies’ second team on Saturday.

Captain Easton was absent again, but her team had a gameplan to pick up maximum points from the game.

Petersfield started enthusiastically and were first out of the blocks. S Bardoe filled in for Easton and distributed the ball wide to A Leach and Hedges. The away side showed good patience and held possession. Eames demonstrated creative flare throughout the match and skilfully tormented her opponents.

A Leach, Eames and O’Kelly formed an effective trio on the pitch and eventually found a foot for a short corner. Although the shot was well targeted, it was just narrowly missed by Hedges.

Shortly afterwards Hedges drew first blood for the visitors. Eames skipped lightly past a series of sticks and took on the Yateley defence before offloading to the perfectly placed forward Hedges, who gave the keeper no chance.

Petersfield dominated the first half, although Yateley did occasionally threaten down the right-hand channel. Llewelyn regained possession, and the defence successfully redistributed the ball between Briggs, Eames and S Bardoe.

This served to wear down the opposition and set up some good exchanges between R Leach and O’Kelly, and it was this combination that led to Petersfield’s second goal.

O’Kelly worked the ball through the legs of a defender and squared to R Leach, who was set up inside the edge of the D before delivering a devastating strike to make it 2-0.

Yateley were wounded by the deficit and dug their heals in and applied pressure down the left.

Yateley continuously blocked attempts from the Petersfield defence to drive the ball up field, and persistence finally paid off for the home side when they scored from a short corner to get themselves back in the game.

In the second half Yateley turned up the pressure physically on Petersfield.

Yateley pressed for an equaliser and Petersfield goalkeeper Carys Pearson was called upon to successfully defend strikes from a range of positions.

This only served to further frustrate the opposition and R Leach deprived Yateley of possession. She flicked a pass to S Bardoe, who in turn carved the ball round a midfielder and eventually found Eames on the halfway line.

Spotting Hedges, Eames struck a formidable pass into the D. Catching the defence off guard, Hedges unleashed a first-time unstoppable shot to make it 3-1 to the visitors.

Petersfield continued to press and O’Kelly covered huge areas of ground in pursuit of space and created opportunities in the danger zone for Hedges and J Bardoe.

Petersfield Ladies ran out comfortable 3-1 winners, and the three points took the team back up to second place in the Hampshire Division 3 (Women) table.

Petersfield Ladies are now on a Christmas break, and they will return to action with a trip to the bottom side, Hamble Ladies’ second team, on January 11.