Petersfield 25 Ellingham & Ringwood 18: JOY AT Petersfield’s victory in their first home league game of the season was tempered somewhat by a serious injury to Gareth Macgillivray.

With five minutes gone, Macgillivray fell heavily attempting a tackle and suffered a dislocated elbow for his troubles. Field’s excellent physiotherapist, Ruth Chinnock, was immediately on hand to provide support aided by her Ellingham and Ringwood counterpart.

This injury, plus another to an Ellingham back in the first quarter, contributed to the ten minutes of injury time added to the first half and the stoppages were perhaps in part to blame for the scrappy nature of the game. Ellingham had the bulk of possession and territory during this period, but it was Field who scored first. Counter attacking after a passage of broken play the ball was switched to the left wing where Franks gassed down the line to cross for the try, unconverted. In the second quarter Ellingham scored two tries of their own, one converted, to take them into the break with a seven-point lead. Field finished the half strongly with a significant spell spent in Ellingham’s 22, however, they could not convert their pressure into points.

Field came out of the blocks quickly in the second half with a penalty after just three minutes followed by a try ten minutes in. Field’s pack began the move with a strong lineout drive, but it took two further phases before a missed pass to Franks set the winger free on the left to surge in for his second of the game. Wilks followed his earlier penalty success with the conversion and Field swung the scoreboard back to a three-point lead.

Field indiscipline led to an easy penalty for Ellingham who took the chance to bring the scores level just before the end of the third quarter. With the game finely balanced, it was Field’s pack that swung the match in the home side’s favour. Dominant throughout the game in the set piece the forwards destroyed a defensive scrum in the Ellingham 22 forcing a hurried clearance kick. The doughty Rushmer charged down the panicked punt and Field recovered the ball, feeding it down the line to Franks who crossed the line to secure his hat-trick.

Field’s extended lead did not last long however as they repeated their earlier error to gift Ellingham a further three-point penalty. The game went into its final ten minutes with the combatants separated by a mere two points. Field were now well in the driving seat, however, having the bulk of possession and territory in their favour and with Ellingham giving away penalties under pressure.

As the clock ticked down to the end of the match, Field’s pack continued to harry their opposition through a succession of penalty lineout drives, the last just held up over the line. Ellingham were penalised at the resulting scrum and Field opted for the corner again. This time the catch and drive was successful and Richie Herring surfaced as the try scorer. The missed conversion brought the match to a close.

Field move to mid-table with the four-try bonus point win while their opponents next week, Fareham Heathens, sit three places below. Fareham have played once so far this season, losing 35-13 to league leaders Millbrook.