Cove Youth under-16s 2 Petersfield under-16 Pumas 3: NEWLY promoted Petersfield under-16 Pumas started the season with an away fixture against Cove.

The Pumas piled on the pressure from the off with good movement on and off the ball by Knight, James, Coghill and Sharples constantly creating chances for forwards Balogun and Robins. However, Cove’s goalkeeper kept the chances at bay. Petersfield’s luck came just before the break when Robins’ shot hit the back of the net. Cove piled on the pressure, but defenders Rahman, Hood, Mathieson and Lawrence dealt with those attacks swiftly. Petersfield goalkeeper Raftery got in on the action with a fingertip save right on the whistle for the break.

The Pumas came under pressure in the second half and Cove’s thunderous shot found the net to equalise. Forward Robins shifted gears and put the Pumas back in front with his second well-placed goal, but the jubilations were short-lived as Cove’s well-placed header put them level again. Cove’s attempts to secure all three points were thwarted by good defending by Johnson and fine saves by Raftery. Ten minutes from time James squared the ball to Balogun who tapped it in nicely to secure the win.