BLACKFIELD & Langley have been dealt another cruel blow in their quest for Sydenhams Premier Division supremacy.

Having seen targetman Jamie Musselwhite return to his old club AFC Portchester last week (see story on right), the Watersiders – home to in-form Folland Sports tonight – fear defender Joe Byrne faces another lengthy spell on the sidelines after a shoulder injury came back to haunt him in Saturday’s 3-2 defeat at new league leaders Petersfield Town.

Byrne initially dislocated his shoulder in the third game of the season at Whitchurch and has only recently returned to action.

But he fell awkwardly again at Love Lane where Blackfield twice took the lead and wasted several more good chances before Petersfield – down to ten men following Alex Ward’s second yellow – snatched an 86th-minute winner when the unmarked Andy Todd thumped home a header from a corner.

“We played the football and created chance after chance, but we let things go at the back,” Blackfield boss John Robson admitted.

“It was my fault. I put Kane Daysh on alongside Kev Gibbens (when Byrne went off) and Kane’s not really a centre-half.

“Then I took off Michael Durdey and we have a thing where the player going off must tell the player going on what their job is. But Josh Hanratty went on and should have been on the post for their third goal, but he wasn’t and their player’s headed it in.”

Twice Blackfield led through Ekow Elliott and Danilo Cadete, but twice newly-promoted Petersfield reined them in through Ash Howes and Todd.

“We pushed extra people up, but Petersfield dropped off and defended and fair do’s to them,” said Robson.

“They deserved their win, but we created numerous chances that we should have finished.

“Jamie Musselwhite’s a massive loss. If he’d been playing, I’ve no doubt we’d have come away with the three points.”

In an ideal world Robson would move ex-Saint Gibbens into the targetman’s role tonight but, with Byrne injured, his presence is sorely needed at the back.

His big hope is that centre-back Nick Tayler will return this week after time out with a broken nose.