FAWLEY AFC failed in their quest to keep a second clean sheet against champions elect Petersfield.

Having held the Sydenhams Premier leaders 0-0 on home territory at the start of the month, the Oilers bowed out of March with a 5-1 defeat at Love Lane.

Robbie Tambling bagged four goals and Warren Hunt was also on target for the Rams, leaving Charlie Willett to bag a sole reply.

“It was tough for us. We’re struggling with injuries and were down to the bare bones,” admitted Oilers chairman Kevin Mitchell.

“We held Petersfield for 40 minutes but then lost Callum Tanner to a knee injury. Sam Longman replaced him in central midfield, but he too had to be substituted early in the second half with a groin strain and, with such a depleted squad, we lost a bit of shape.”

Tanner and Longman join a lengthy injury list already including Elliot Earl, Dane Sayce, Roy Johnson and Lewis Ross, while regular right-back Pete Keating is on holiday.

“In the first game against Petersfield and for the first half on Saturday we battled hard, but we conceded just before half-time, having gone 130 minutes without them scoring against us, and they were much better than us in the second half,” said Mitchell.

“That said, they scored three quick goals in the second half and one was a dubious penalty and another one caught us unawares from a throw-in that was given completely the wrong way. I know the referee Craig Robson well, but he had to apologise afterwards for getting two decisions wrong.

“It wouldn’t have changed the result, but it doesn’t help. It would have been nice if we’d come away losing 2-1 or 3-1 rather than 5-1 but results, as we know, don’t always reflect the game.

“Had we got something out of it we would have gone through the whole of March without losing (after draws with Petersfield, Blackfield & Langley and Horndean). It would have been something special for us to go through our first month unbeaten as a Wessex Premier club.”

With just five games to play, Petersfield are four points clear of Winchester City with a game in hand.

The Rams now await this week’s visit from the ground graders to discover if their Love Lane HQ is suitable for promotion. Petersfield have erected new floodlights, costing £20,000, resurfaced the pitch surrounds and put in new terraces and seats.