PETERSFIELD 15, SANDOWN & SHANKLIN 10

PETERSFIELD completed their great escape from relegation with a superb victory over fourth-placed Sandown & Shanklin at Penns Place last Saturday.

’Field have laboured hard but often fruitlessly in Hampshire 1 this season. The forced rotation of personnel has been a constant problem and the club has dug deep into its membership at times to even field a fifteen.

For all their best efforts, Petersfield have languished second from bottom for most of the season and looked destined for the drop.

But they were not the only ones struggling. Locksheath were nailed-on certainties for relegation before the turn of the year, while Ellingham & Ringwood and Isle of Wight were mathematically within ’Field’s reach.

While IoW pulled away, the gap between Petersfield and Ellingham drew ever closer.

And with Ellingham finishing their season the previous Saturday with a defeat, ’Field had a target to aim for in their final match. One bonus point against Sandown would lift them out of the bottom two and consign Ellingham to their second consecutive relegation.

Once again fielding a reshuffled team due to injuries (coach Andy Patience, having long since run out of hair to pull out, took the latest blow in his stride), ’Field started brightly, keeping S&S penned in their own half.

Within five minutes, Jack Lumbard took a quick tap penalty and sent Fraser Patience over on the left.

By the second quarter, the possession had evened up and Sandown at last crossed into the home side’s 22. The pressure mounted and Sam Flux kicked a penalty to bring the visitors within two points.

Towards half-time, ’Field were back in the ascendancy and S&S transgressed under pressure. Fraser Patience this time took a quick penalty and Jack Glancy made one of his trademark mazy runs to score. The conversion again missed, Petersfield led 10-3 at the break.

Both sides again gave away penalties on the restart. The fractured play prevented Sandown from building on their possession, while ’Field missed chances to turn the tables.

Midway through the third quarter, S&S looked certain to score, but some terrific tackling forced a knock-on.

Petersfield weathered the storm until the start of the last quarter when S&S drove for the line and the scrum collapsed, the referee awarding a penalty try. Flux converted and it was 10-10 going into the final quarter.

The tension was now almost unbearable for the home support, but their loud vocal encouragement helped Petersfield to at least play in the right half of the pitch and threaten the S&S try-line.

The reds strove in vain to breach a solid defence and as the clock ticked down, Sandown looked to clear their lines with a boot upfield.

Franko Tomíc, the impressive 2nd XV lock, charged down the kick and followed up to collect the ball and drop over the line for the decisive try.

S&S battled hard in the closing moments, but the home defence held firm to secure Petersfield’s fifth, and sweetest, win of the season. It guarantees Hampshire 1 rugby at Penns Place next season.

* Many of the Petersfield 2nd XV were either supporting or playing with their first team on Saturday. Meanwhile, Sandown II were doing the ’Field twos a favour by thumping Fareham II 72-15. This result means that ’Field have won the Hampshire Merit South East league with a game in hand.