Fordingbridge 24 Petersfield 30: HAVING suffered their first defeat of the season at home to Alton, Field took a trip into the New Forest on Saturday to face fourth-placed Fordingbridge.

With Alton and Sandown and Shanklin undefeated in the league, Field needed a win to keep themselves in contention for promotion but faced a potential banana skin against a Fordingbridge side that had yet to lose at home.

All looked good for Field in the first half as they ran in three tries – two from fullback Tom Land and one from right wing Alastair Sheldon.

Nick Blumlein, playing this week at inside centre, kicked one of the conversions and a penalty to add to the team’s tally of 20 points at the half time break.

Their hosts, meanwhile, scored an unconverted try that narrowed the deficit to 15.

Despite their comfortable lead, as the first half developed, Field failed to settle into their structure and were unable to string together consistent phases of play.

Dominance in the scrum brought no reward in terms of the anticipated penalties, but Field continued to plough this barren furrow rather than provide quick ball to the backs.

While the scrum was delivering on the deck, both in defence and attack, the aerial challenge of the lineout was not so accurate and Field coughed up a few promising attacks in their opponents’ 22.

Two quick tries for Fordingbridge at the start of the second half, one converted, changed the complexion of the match as the comfortable 15-point cushion was reduced to just three.

The scrappy pattern of the game continued with Fordingbridge now sensing blood and going in for the kill with Field either falling off tackles or their hosts making yards after the initial contact.

Despite the pressure, it was Field who were next to score as the final quarter started.

A lineout secured outside the Fordingbridge 22 started a maul that didn’t so much roll as run through the hapless defence, eventually depositing Jackson Clark over the line for the score. Blumlein added the extras.

Fordingbridge did not allow the setback to deflate their efforts and returned to their siege of Field’s line.

The home side got their rewards inside the final ten minutes when Jay Bremner was sin-binned for not rolling away, and then they overwhelmed the Field defence for their fourth, bonus-point winning, try which was well converted from the touchline to bring the score back to within three points.

Field had the last score of the match, courtesy of a penalty from Blumlein which brought the final whistle.

The bonus-point win for Field keeps them in contention but both they and Alton must be looking nervously over their shoulders at Sandown and Shanklin, who put 91 points past Eastleigh’s second team on Saturday and sit second in the table in spite of having a game in hand.

The league moves back to Penns Place tonight (Friday) as Field welcome Havant’s second team under the floodlights – kick-off is at 7.45pm.

Like Sandown and Shanklin, fourth-placed Havant have a game in hand and, like Field, only one loss to their name.