2nd half performance gets 'Field out of jail!
10 Oct 09 Farnborough 3 v 28 Petersfield 1st XV
Coach Tony Barnes was well aware of the dark warnings of the ‘old hands’ about the ‘banana skin’ that awaited Petersfield in North Hampshire. On a difficult, narrow paddock, with a passionate home crowd, his would not be the first Petersfield XV to come unstuck here and his misgivings were not misplaced as ‘Field seemed to abandon the tenets he, Derek White and Scott Heffield have been dinning into the Red-n-Whites this season, so far to good advantage.
For at half time, Petersfield were in a three-all drawer with a team that had only beaten Aldershot 17-25. Early pressure from the home side had tested the ‘Field defence. Petersfield will be disappointed to have put themselves in these positions with a woefully high penalty count, but can at least take the positive of once again denying their opposition tries from open play. Promising early breaks by Barnes and Wilks with his new go-faster haircut went unfinished due to sloppy support work.
Mark Turner, who had showed well in the early stages was unfortunate to be injured at a ruck on the Farnborough five metre line on fifteen minutes and was replaced by Dark, who came on to provide a man of the match performance. Turner, that good young man who travelled from Ventnor each week to train and play, could be out ‘til Christmas.
Lineouts went well with Plaisted finding his man well and occasionally being able to disrupt the opposition throw in. Scrums were mediocre until Petersfield decided to concentrate on the aspect of play in hand and that said the front row after, it was probably down to a lack of aggression in the engagement at crucial moments. Petersfield’s first and only score of the half came from a well struck penalty by Barnes, who kicked impeccably all day and so turning around at 3-3, Petersfield were acutely aware that this game was theirs to win. ‘Field knew that they were the better team but were being brought down to Farnborough’s level by a pack that had a few old heads who were able to slow the ball down and keep Field players occupied by occasional moments of skulduggery. Coach Barnes said later that indeed words had been spoken firmly at the half break, tough talking for sure for this normally placid and mild man and whatever he said had the desired affect as a different ‘Field went out to play the last forty minutes.
Field turned around and seemed to come out of the blocks a lot faster than Farnborough. Scrum half Wayne Butcher showed the way forward by tackling the opposition catcher from the kick off while he was a good six inches off the ground and getting away with it, much to the consternation of the opposition players and support. Indeed the referee admitted later that he has always found Tile Barn Close a difficult place to officiate because the crowd always get on his back… cautionary note to Les Balconniers!
Field’s first try came from a good lineout win on halfway. The ball was spread wide to Dunglinson who made excellent ground before setting up a ruck in the Farnborough twenty-two. The ball was again moved wide quickly, finding Sam Wilks who managed to wriggle through three tacklers before being scragged and seemingly heading the ball to George Saunders. Saunders hit the jets and interested the full back and winger before off loading to Todd, loitering with intent as always on the right wing following the lineout. Todd had happily found his preferred ideal, a power mismatch with the opposition winger and crashed over in the corner like a runaway milk-float. Barnes missed the difficult conversion but now Petersfield’s heads were up and the confidence was flowing. Andy Barnes also got a try, kicking the ball on the half way line and chasing after it before a lucky bounce just before the tryline foiled the opposition full back and Barnes gathered to flop over the line.
After breaking the opposition defence for their first, Petersfield went on to produce more tries. The first saw fullback Martin take a blindside ball from a scrum thirty five metres out. The fullback dummied one defender and then beat two more defenders with an alluring sidestep, fended off another to add a further five points. Barnes duly obliged with the conversion and then added to his high scoring performance with penalties a try of his own – a chipped-ahead ball seemingly drawn back to the talented youngster, who snapped it up like a freshly-baked pasty he so plainly enjoys and flopped over for a score.
This was converted and Barnes also added to immense kicks from inside his own half, to impress again with his improving focus on the game.
Petersfield had recovered very well, laid the ghost of travelling to rest and get up pressure on the top of table moving quietly into second place with this competent second half performance.
Man of the match Alex Dark laid down an impressive marker for his first team credentials with a powerful and seemingly omnipresent performance, carrying well and defending with extreme physicality. Match captain Ben Martin was his usual constructive self after the match. “We’re well aware that we ‘got out of jail’ with a much improved second-half performance, but we cannot afford to start so slowly in future fixtures, particularly against a Romsey side next week, who are riding high in the league” said the sage fullback. “Every player must work on their own motivation to ensure that the team as a whole can start with the same dynamism with which this game was finished.,” he concluded. Petersfield now must prepare themselves for Romsey’s visit next Saturday. Although the New Forest side lost at home to Eastleigh at the weekend, they are well known at Penns Place. They are coached by the formidable Gary Banks, a good friend of Petersfield, but this amity will be suspended for eighty minutes at 3.00 p.m next Saturday. Petersfield will do well to beat the ‘blue-&-yellow’ and keep up their title ambitions, but a big crowd always helps and the hope the Town will be at Penns Place to cheer the Ones on.
