AFTER last week’s disappointing blip, Petersfield Hurricanes Under-8s got back on track with a gutsy performance against North East Hampshire Youth League rivals Bourne Blades Foxes.

Travelling across the county border into south-west Surrey, the Hurricanes were more than a match for their Farnham opponents, with top goalscorer Taylor Pearce denied on three occasions by fine saves in the first half alone.

The first followed a lovely through ball by tireless worker Oscar Walker, a second followed a mazy run by the fleet-footed Harry Timmons, and the third saw the Foxes goalkeeper at full stretch to palm the ball away from the top corner.

Timmons was also denied at close range by one of the two in-form Bourne Blades goalkeepers after a determined and jinking run toward the end of the game.

But the busy Alex Garlant was not to be denied and fashioned a decisive finish with less than five minutes to go, picking up a loose ball on the edge of the Foxes box, breaking a tackle and poking the ball past the goalkeeper into the bottom corner for his sixth goal of the season.

At the other end, Hurricanes goalkeeper James Port, ably assisted at the back by Walker, Timmons, Benjamin Oru and Garlant, kept the home side at bay with a confident performance, beating out some efforts on goal and bravely throwing himself on loose balls inside his penalty area as the Hurricanes secured their first clean sheet of the season.

And with Connor Redpath and Finlay Stafferton nipping away at their markers and playing their part in a solid, all-round team effort, it was noticeable that the Hurricanes fought hard in the closing minutes to preserve their hard-earned lead.

Petersfield Hurricanes: James Port, Benjamin Oru, Finlay Stafferton, Connor Redpath, Oscar Walker, Harry Timmons, Alex Garlant, Taylor Pearce.