PETERSFIELD 13, SANDOWN & SHANKLIN 22

PETERSFIELD suffered a first loss of the season in Hampshire 1 as they paid the price for a return to last season’s revolving-door selection issues.

A growing injury list, plus unavailability, forced coach James Alder to shuffle his pack and while the replacements acquitted themselves well, the lack of continuity made Sandown & Shanklin’s task that much easier.

The Hurricanes executed their game-plan with ruthlessness from start to finish. After expending so much energy in the first half, they looked almost certain to run out of steam before the end, but the confidence gained from seeing their tactics working kept them going until the final whistle.

Sandown’s ferocious defence denied ’Field time to settle into their own game and, when in attack, the Islanders overwhelmed the home side with pace and numbers.

By the end of the first quarter, the Hurricanes had scored two tries, one in either corner, through flanker Ryan Carey and scrum-half Jake Jordan.

Neither was converted and Petersfield fought back in the second quarter, enjoying their best spell of the game.

The returning Matt Painter put them on the scoreboard with a 30-metre penalty. Then, after a period of sustained possession in the Sandown 22, Eddie Matthews benefitted from quick ball to streak over.

The conversion was missed and ’Field trailed 8-10 at the break, still very much in the game.

And the home side started the second half brightly, with their pressure forcing two early penalties. But Painter’s first kick shaved the upright and the second slid under the middle of the crossbar.

The Hurricanes weathered the storm and returned to their strategy, overwhelming the Petersfield defence to score two more tries.

Hooker Zak Chiverton sprinted in under the posts and full-back Sam Tyson dived over in the corner for the bonus-point score.

Sandown thus had an unassailable 14-point lead deep into the last quarter, but ’Field at least had the last word when Charlie Attwood converted a period of pressure into a consolation try on the left wing.

Petersfield drop to second place in the table, overtaken by New Milton who won 29-22 against Fordingbridge.

This Saturday, ’Field travel to fourth-placed Ellingham & Ringwood.