Dreadful weather, dreadful game, but Old Blues played the first 40 minutes as if their lives were at stake. If a rejuvenated Alton thought that this was a routine home win, they were sadly mistaken.
Blues flew out of the traps and their huge pack dominated the home side. How the score remained blank for 30 minutes is a mystery to everyone apart from Alton wing Winston Carter, who made some astonishing tackles. Twice, he foiled the visitors with almost suicidal tackles.
Alton struggled. Their line-out malfunctioned; they were turned over five times in the first 20 minutes, and the scrum was on the retreat.
Alton could barely lay their hands on the ball as Blues' half-backs Ian Gilmour and Danny Walker bossed the game. The visitors were eventually rewarded when Will Fairbairn was driven over the line and Walker converted.
Robbie Bains added to Alton's misery when he touched down after the Blues' scrum drove an outweighed Alton eight backwards. In between, Blues skipper Tom Craven spurned an overlap and Mark William Thomas dropped the ball over the try-line.
The visitors should have wrapped it up, donned the carpet slippers and enjoyed a second-half stroll.
But Alton coach Tom O'Connor rang the changes at half-time and his side responded with a beauty of a try six minutes into the second half. Tony Watson released David Rowledge, whose break carved open the defence and Stephen Johns stepped up in support to put left wing Tristan Morris over. Watson missed the conversion.
That, alas, was the extent of the comeback. Blues should have increased their lead when full-back Stu Dimmock spurned an overlap and went alone, and they always had the edge in the breakdowns. Alton skipper Paul Moran was sin-binned after taking retribution for a dreadful head-high tackle on Morris and this ultimately damaged his side as they lost the second-half ascendancy. Despite copious possession, Alton sustained neither quality possession or territorial dominance. The outstanding Silas Jones almost furnished a try in the 87th minute but, in truth, Old Blues deserved their win.
Alton could take consolation from Adam Baker's performance at No 8 and they showed enough in their second-half efforts to suggest that they should survive in this tough league with some comfort.
"I am disappointed that our winning run has ended," said coach O'Connor. "We need to work on the scrum because we struggled badly."
Alton: Chant, Mills, Johns, Rowledge, Watson, Evans; Bailey (Bowden 50 mins), Kerr, Bowden (Hellier 41 mins), Moran, Hopkins, Jones, Baker.
Match facts: Penalties awarded: Alton 12, Old Blues 19. Line-outs won/lost/void: Alton 16/4/3; Old Blues 16/8/3. Scrums won/lost: Alton 16/0; Old Blues 14/1. Turn-overs against: Alton 7, Old Blues 3.