Strong finish to season
24 Apr 10 Aldershot & Fleet 10 v 33 Petersfield 1st XV
'Field finish second have ing already gained promotion for next season
With their promotion worries all settled, Petersfield had one remaining fixture, left over from the bad weather. So they gathered their scattered forces together after the club dinner and set out once more on the well-trod path to Aldershot. If you were in town on Saturday morning, gentle reader, and saw groups of bleary-eyed young men forcing full English breakfast down, these were the gallant 1st XV in recovery mode after the annual dinner getting a vital carb and sugar boost.
While this match was a dead rubber, promotion and relegation issues all settled – Aldershot are going down and were a put miffed at having to take what they perhaps saw as an unnecessary thumping – coach Heffield took the opportunity to select something of a developmental side for the fixture. There were six changes from the team that had won promotion the previous week and perhaps a good sign that even after the club end-of-season bash, there were still sufficient player wanting to be recognised for senior XV duty.
As might be expected, given the wee small hour finish the previous evening, it was Aldershot who started well and put some good pressure on the visitors. Then against the run of play, it was almost inevitably young Andy Barnes – fresh from collecting that most coveted of awards that previous evening, “The Players’ Player” - who scored a break out try from 70m out, another individual effort, followed by his conversion.
Not the start ‘Shot had deserved maybe, but even then Petersfield failed to take hold of the game. There came a run of unforced errors with the usual Petersfield poor discipline getting the better of them, before a second individual try from Barnes took the score to 12 - 0.
This was even spectacular by Barnes standards as he was attempting an inside slip ball to the veteran Eldridge, when the ball bounced off his own heel and back over his head towards the Aldershot try line. Achilles himself would have been pleased and a fine chase by Barnes secured ’Field’s second try.
Moments later however, Aldershot scored a well worked try, which they converted and again poor discipline allowed an easy penalty by the home team to be slotted just prior to half time, giving Petersfield a narrow 10 – 12 lead at the half, but it was, not surprisingly for the visitors, a lacklustre first half, with ill discipline and unforced errors, but at least, came a quiet grumble, “we turned up.”
Heffield got the hair dryer out at the break. Some strong words were spoken and as has happened on so many occasions this year, Petersfield responded. Actually, the thought of only forty more minutes of pain before two months off, and the prospect of the Pub Sevens next weekend, probably helped focus the collective mind and Petersfield scored within the first five minutes. A strong run from Derek Eldridge set ’Field’s mercurial Harry Green away to score, duly converted by Barnes. Ill discipline was still a feature and ’Field then played ten minutes without Gareth Nichols, who probably needed a ten-minute rest after the “Player of the Year” award on Friday night.
But this did not stop Petersfield finally hitting their straps and scoring two more tries with the final effort coming from Will Dunglinson’s chip and chase which was carried out with great control. Barnes with all the conversions and the final score was 10 – 33. Aldershot didn't look like scoring at all in the second half, the stuffing having gone out of them, but ’Field made hard work of this final victory.
Scott was happy that it was mission achieved. “Perhaps the end of the season blues, the experimental team, throw in some party fever and a come down from last week all contributed to the final result, he said. “In any case, and to be fair, a fine end to the season with another victory and looking forward to next season. We have to say thanks to all the boys from all the coaches, and myself to outgoing former Head Coach Tony Barnes, for all the hard work this season and a well deserved promotion to London SW3.
But he added with a glint in the eye “Pre-season training proper starts on 1 July, 19.30 hours prompt. Make a date in your diary and pre-season conditioning training starts on Tuesday 4 May at 19.30 hours in the ’Field Club Gym. Be scared lads, be very scared!!!” he added with a hard, mirthless laugh.
