FORDINGBRIDGE 18, PETERSFIELD 32

PETERSFIELD secured an important win over close rivals Fordingbridge on Saturday to take them closer to promotion from Hampshire 1.

Tries from Tom Franks Josh Haslett, Fraser Patience, with a brace, and Harley Orr, gained the vital bonus point while denying ’Bridge a losing bonus.

The teams have been leapfrogging each other for second place for most of the season as they chase leaders New Milton who remain five points clear after beating Farnborough 24-13.

Fordingbridge now trail Petersfield by eight points, but the Basingstoke side have a match in hand and that will not be played until the end of the season.

In the earlier meeting between the sides, ’Field just hung on to win 19-17. This time, they again took the lead and never looked like losing it.

The visitors saw an early penalty attempt fly wide, but continued to press and finally scored a converted try, followed by a successful penalty. However, Matt Norton kicked two penalties for Fordingbridge towards the end of the first half to cut the deficit to four points.

There was a positive response from ’Field on the restart and they added two more tries to take a healthy 27-6 lead. Ross Bealey pulled one back for the hosts, only to have it cancelled out in quick order as ’Field crossed over for their fifth try of the match.

Disappointingly for the best defence in the league this season, the visitors switched off again and prop Mike Parry scored an unconverted try for ’Bridge in the final minute.

Any team challenging for honours has to learn to ‘win ugly’ and this Petersfield managed to do, despite an erratic passing display in the backs – poor one moment, sublime the next. The reds could have scored five tries in the first half but for spilled passes.

Tom Franks, however, was unlucky not to have his own brace of tries. His second touch-down was disallowed by an umpire who was some distance from the action.

There is a long way to go and plenty can still happen, but ’Field’s eight-point buffer effectively wipes out Fordingbridge’s game in hand.

It looks like Petersfield will have to beat Eastleigh in their last game of the season to be in with a shout of the title. There are plenty of banana skins to avoid between then and now.

James Alder has made a significant impact at the Penns Place club and the blunt-talking head coach will keep the players focussed on the task in hand right up to the season’s end.