Andover Town 1 Petersfield Town 2.

Despite a much improved performance Town were cruelly denied the points that their efforts deserved as a 95th minute goal resulted in Petersfield going home from the Portway with all three points.

Injuries and holidays continued to force Neil Benson to shuffle his starting side and, when last week’s debutant Mark Childs failed a late fitness test, keeper Michael Horne was given his first start for the club.

Petersfield started the brighter and forced several early chances and it took a smart save from Horne, getting down quickly to his right, to deny Jake Slater an early lead.

On ten minutes a Danny Thompson cross from the left fooled everybody and came back off the crossbar but, when it looked like a goal was certain, Peterfield’s Jamie Ford screwed his shot wide.

Petersfield continued to have the better of the half and only a good block from Joe Woodward prevented them taking the lead however, as the half went on, Andover began to find some space as Craig Blakeman and Ike Robertson began to create half chances.

As the half drew to a close it Andover went closest as, on 40 minutes, Oli Yates’ corner was headed goalward by Woodward only to see it come back of the angle of bar and post.

Andover started the second half the better and were rewarded on 54 minutes when Danny Urry got free on the right and his cross cum shot found its way over Petersfield keeper Matt Shortt in the Petersfield goal and into the top corner sparking jubilation among his teammates and most of the 98 strong crowd.

Robertson almost doubled the lead a minute later but, after good work by Michael Dixon, his shot went wide under pressure from a desperate defence.

Claudio Herbert replaced the tiring Urry and was immediately into the game latching onto to Robertson’s pass but his shot was blocked away for a corner. However it was not all Andover’s way as Warren Hunt forced Horne into a fine save low to his right.

At the other end Yates fired just over before, on 73 minutes, Cam Hough became Andover’s second substitute replacing Blakeman as Benson sought to use pace to prevent Town from slipping further back towards their own goal.

Petersfield continued to press and, on 80 minutes, it took a smart save from Horne to push away a Will Essai effort and then an even better point blank save from Jamie Ford to prevent the resulting corner from resulting in the equaliser.

It looked like Andover were going to clinch the points three minutes from time when a quick break and good work by Dixon set up the onrushing Alex Dockree but his shot was well saved by Shortt.

Town were left to rue this when, in the 90th minute, they failed to prevent a cross from the right and Hunt’s header from ten yards out looped over Horne and in sparking relief on the Petersfield bench.

A deflated Andover tried to lift themselves in the face of a galvanised Peterfield and, as the game entered the fifth minute of stoppage time, looked to have earned a well-deserved point.

It was not to be as, from a final corner, the ball was hooked goalward and crept into the net via the boot of of Ash Howes through a crowd of players leaving a disconsolate Andover with nothing to show from their day and a tough reminder of how close are the margins between most sides in this league.

Andover now dust themselves down and prepare for tomorrow’s away trip to Western League Bradford Town as they look to progress in the FA Vase, hoping that the luck which has so far been sadly distant finally comes their way.

Andover: Horne; Woodward, Scott, Benson (B), Aromona; Robertson, Dockree, Yates (Gunson), Urry (Herbert); Blakeman (Hough), Dixon.