ALTON 1, HASLEMERE II 6

AFTER two indifferent performances, Haslemere 2nd XI found their pre-Christmas form to put six goals past Alton and clinch promotion to Hampshire 1.

The local derby at Amery Hill began with the leaders still looking out of sorts and a fired-up Alton seized the early initiative.

Pete Howland and Harry Curtis moved the ball around nicely in midfield, while Brogan Fife and Martin Kercher looked lively up front.

Alton deservedly took the lead when a fluid move prised open Haslemere’s defence and Fife slid the ball home.

It stung Haslemere into a better spell and skipper Charlie Millsom was denied by both the post and brave goalkeeping by Lawrence Jones.

However, the visitors did equalise just before half-time when Ed Easton found himself at the top of the D and struck a sweet shot across Jones and into the bottom corner.

Haslemere moved up a gear in the second half and now played like a top-of-the-table side. But Alton were still giving as good as they got, with Jonny Dane catching the eye.

However, the leaders were stringing their passes together and Easton and Moore seized control of the midfield.

Millsom scored his 16th goal of the season, squeezing the ball past Jones in a goalmouth scramble.

The last four goals came in a rush as Haslemere got their short-corner act together – at last.

Seasoned campaigner Jason Moore took this upon himself and proceeded to set up three tap-in goals for Ali Gloak, taking his season’s tally to nine – not bad for a right-back.

Haslemere were not done there and Gloak took control of the final short corner, delivering one of the sweetest passes of the season for Millsom to score the sixth and final goal.

Alton themselves won a string of short corners, but failed to make them pay. That was the real difference between the sides.

Later, Haslemere had the news they wanted – Isle of Wight had lost, meaning that Millsom’s men were promoted.

So the pressure eases for cup action in midweek, but cranks up again this Saturday when Haslemere host Southampton II in a likely title decider.

Alton, with only three games left, are nine points clear of the bottom two, but will want to break their current bad run by beating Andover II away this Saturday.