Petersfield Town exited the FA Vase with a 2-1 defeat at home to fellow Wessex League Premier Division outfit Hamworthy Recreation at Love Lane.

Despite Harrison Cable pulling one back for Petersfield in added time it wasn’t enough to save the Rams. Two goals from the visitors, the second in added time in the first half, proved to be too much to come back from.

Bob Tudway burst through on goal early on for the Rams and poked goalwards, but a Hamworthy defender mopped up the danger.

The visitors took the lead in the 22nd minute. Tom Blair got the ball out wide, and with Charlie Merritt backing off Blair’s cross was glanced in by Max Wilcock in the box.

Rams keeper Ellis Grant then made a superb diving save, but the visitors did double their lead in first-half added time when Blair found the bottom left-hand corner with a first-time strike.

Blair’s strike seemed to take the wind out of Petersfield’s sails, as the home side struggled to get forward and create clearcut chances.

Blair nearly scored a third for Hamworthy when he burst forward and cut inside, but his deflected effort fell just wide of the post.

For the Rams their first real opening came in the 77th minute. Cable looked sharp and beat three defenders to charge into the box, but his shot from a narrow angle clipped the keeper’s leg and the ball narrowly evaded Tudway and fell just wide.

Henry Searle followed up from the resulting corner with a glancing header that went just wide of the far post.

Cable did grab his goal deep into added time. Good movement got him to the near post and he flicked a header goalwards that took a bounce and nestled into the far corner to make it 2-1.