WHITCHURCH United shot to the top of the Wessex Premier Division last Wednesday week after a hardfought 3-2 victory over Petersfield.

In soaking conditions, unbeaten United dug deep to overcome a team who were themselves sitting comfortably at the top of the table.

However, an early strike from Jamie Mansell and two quick goals from Jack McCarthy and Ryan Lambert were enough to secure all three points for United and extend their winning league run to six consecutive games.

Mansell opened the scoring with less than a minute on the clock after Petersfield keeper Matt Short miskicked the ball straight into the path of the striker who gently passed it into the bottom left.

Despite the early goal, the game quickly turned on its head a minute later when Petersfield were awarded a controversial penalty after the referee deemed Warren Hunt had been felled in the box.

The striker quickly got up to take the penalty himself, drilling it past Brad Snelling and into the bottom right to bring the score to 1-1.

The game’s high tempo continued and shortly after the quarter-hour mark a sublime corner from Mansell found McCarthy at the back post and his committed diving header sneaked in to restore United’s lead.

Just a minute later Whitchurch extended that lead thanks to another howler from Short.

The keeper controlled a throw in from his defender before miskicking into the path of Lambert, who smashed the ball into the top right from just outside the box.

United looked in control at that point but Petersfield pulled one back in the 34th minute after winger Alex Loweley’s rifled shot took a heavy deflection and beat Snelling into the top corner.

The game carried through to halftime with the score finally balanced at 3-2 but as the rain continued conditions on the pitch began to worsen.

After the break both managers tried to keep the tempo of the game up by bringing on substitutes but as the pitch got wetter, chances began to dry up.

Petersfield’s Jack James went on with 20 minutes left and arguably had the best chance but Snelling pushed the ball away for a corner.

Petersfield continued to push for the equaliser late in the game but Whitchurch stood strong.

United manager Carl Bennett said after the game: “Obviously, on the night it’s a massive result.

“We’ve shown a lot of character to come out against one of the top teams in the league and get a result that puts us top of the table.”

Asked for the reason behind the success they’ve had so far this year, Bennett replied: “It’s those guys in the dressing room. That dressing room is by far the best I’ve ever worked with.

We don’t have any individuals in there, just players who work for each other.”