Petersfield 15 Sandown & Shanklin 10: PETERSFIELD’S first team have laboured hard but often fruitlessly in the Hampshire 1 league this season.

The forced rotation of personnel has been the only constant in a year of many lows and few highs. The club has had to dig deep into its senior membership at times to even field a 15 and the results have pinned Field to one place above bottom for most of the season. After finishing comfortably mid-table in 2014-15, at the start of 2016 it looked like the side were destined for the drop.

Fortunately for Field, they were not the only ones struggling, Locks Heath Pumas were nailed-on certainties for relegation before the turn of the year and Ellingham and Ringwood and Isle of Wight were mathematically within Field’s reach. While Isle of Wight pulled away, the respective results for Field and Ellingham drew them closer together. With Ellingham finishing their season the previous Saturday, Field had a target to aim for in their match against Sandown and Shanklin; one bonus point would lift them from the drop zone and consign Ellingham to their second consecutive relegation.

Once again fielding a reshuffled team due to injuries, Field started brightly, kicking towards the Taro and keeping the visitors penned in their own half. Field turned pressure into points with five minutes gone; Jack Lumbard spotting the opportunity to take a quick penalty to put Fraser Patience in on the left.

As the second quarter began, the possession had evened up and Sandown and Shanklin had at last crossed the Petersfield 22. Field failed to take the opportunities presented to them to clear their lines and the pressure mounted. The visitors looked as though they would force a score but gave away a penalty at the crucial moment. Field again failed to take advantage and Sandown and Shanklin went back on the attack, forcing a penalty which they kicked to bring them within two points.

As the half neared its end Field were in the ascendancy and this time it was the visitors who transgressed under pressure. Patience took the penalty quickly, feeding Jack Glancy who essayed one of his trademark runs through the defence to score. The conversion missed, Field went into the break with a seven-point cushion.

The second half began with Sandown and Shanklin in the driving seat but both sides once again contrived to give away penalties. The fractured play prevented the visitors from building on their possession, while Field continued to miss chances to turn the tables. Halfway through the third quarter, Sandown and Shanklin looked certain to score but some terrific tackling by Field caused a knock-on to deny the visitors.

Field continued to weather the storm until the start of the last quarter when Sandown and Shanklin turned over a defensive scrum in the Field 22 and drove for the line. When the scrum collapsed, the referee had no hesitation in awarding a penalty try. The conversion a formality, Sandown and Shanklin levelled the score.

The final quarter was an understandably tense affair for the large and vocal home support but Field at least were playing it in the right half of the pitch, once again threatening the Sandown and Shanklin try-line. Despite getting within inches of the line at times, the red team could not breach the Sandown and Shanklin defence. As the clock ticked down, the visitors looked to clear their lines with a boot up field. The impressive Franko Tomic chased the pass and charged down the kick, following up to collect the ball and drop over the line.

Sandown and Shanklin battled hard in the closing seconds to reverse the score but Field’s defence held firm to secure the team their fifth win of the season and, most importantly, more than enough points to take them above Ellingham and guarantee League 1 rugby at Penns Place next season.