PETERSFIELD Rugby Club’s first team head coach James Alder was pleased with his patched-up team’s efforts at Penns Place against league leaders Old Cranleighans on Saturday afternoon.

Alder said: “The weather and pitch helped in slowing down the running game and making the ball difficult to handle, but the players should be very proud of the way they all performed.”

Another positive for Field is there were no injuries in the game and Alder is hoping to have a number of players fit again for the team’s next fixture, which is scheduled to be away at Battersea Ironsides on February 17.

Battersea Ironsides are enjoying a reasonable season and are sitting in fifth place in the London 3 South West table with 46 points from 16 matches.

Petersfield are in ninth place in the table with 32 points from their first 16 league matches.