Petersfield 22 Locks Heath Pumas 17: SOMEHOW Field managed to stay the course on Saturday to win a very scrappy match against fellow bottom of the league strugglers, Locks Heath Pumas.

Not only did Field win but they managed to gain a bonus point for four-tries scored.

The win is the home team’s third this year, a major improvement on the win and draw for the first half of the season. With teams above them suffering from their own spells of poor form, the result puts Field in contention for a leap of two places up the table – away from the relegation zone for the first time since the start of the season. The Pumas meanwhile remain rooted to last place with no hope of avoiding the chop.

The match once again highlighted the frailties that have beset Field for the majority of the season and, truth be told; if the Pumas had not lost control of their discipline they could have won. Following a positive start, which saw the fleet-footed Belcher score after five minutes, Field contrived to spend most of the match under the cosh.

Field scored again a few minutes into the second quarter; against the run of play Field’s eight, Craig Chance, broke out from the Pumas’ siege of Field’s half to make good yards into the visitors’ territory. An interchange of passes between Belcher and Glancy saw the latter streak away for an unlikely score. With the conversion missed again Field were an unlikely ten points to the good. Unfortunately, Belcher had been taken out heavily in the movement and was forced to leave the pitch.

Minutes later, the Pumas were on the scoresheet for the first time, returning a loose kick at pace through some lacklustre Field tackling.

In the last ten minutes of the half the sides exchanged tries, Field’s converted, Pumas’ not. First was Field’s outside centre, F Patience, benefitting from another good scrum, this one inside the Pumas’ 22, and quick hands in the backs to run a strong line through the defence and finish under the posts. The Pumas hit back to close the half with Field five points ahead.

The second half continued in the same vein as the first except this time it was the Pumas who struck first. Despite ruling the scrummage, Field did not appear to be able to take advantage of the Pumas being on the back foot. So it was for the score as the visitors turned a messy scrum into front-foot ball, cantering through Field’s defence for another unconverted try.

Field returned to the attack and, just before the end of the third quarter, scored their bonus-point fourth try from another scrum inside the visitors’ 22. This time it came with a peel from the rear of the scrum followed by a powerful run from Chance, who would not be denied on his drive to the line.

Field had retaken the lead but this appeared to do nothing to calm their nerves and the remaining quarter was a nail-biting one for the home support, despite the Pumas being reduced to 14 thanks to a yellow card.

Field are back in league action away at Fordingbridge on Saturday, April 16, before finishing the season at home to Sandown and Shanklin on Saturday, April 23. A win in the first game allied with an Ellingham and Ringwood loss would see the two sides changing places. Given the relative difficulty of the final fixtures for both teams, the final places may come down to losing bonuses.