Alton Town 2, Romsey Town 6

Alton were always going to be up against it on Saturday, playing in-form Romsey disrupted by player unavailability, injuries and with an eye on Wednesday night’s North Hampshire Intermediate Cup semi final – and so it proved.

Romsey started the quicker of the two teams at Anstey Park and took the lead after only five minutes. James Clifton, on the Romsey left wing, got to the bye-line and put in a cross which was parried and Draycott reacted quickest to open the scoring.

Matt Bunyan had a speculative shot saved at the other end before Romsey doubled their lead. Chandler appeared to be fouled as he went to clear the ball, but the foul wasn’t given and it was Clifton again who picked up the loose ball and his cross was turned in by Liam Magee.

Alton’s Scott Sanderson then found room on the edge of the Romsey box and forced Philpott into a full-length save, but again this proved the catalyst for Romsey to score again in familiar fashion as the tricky Clifton crossed and Magee had the freedom of the penalty area to pick his spot and put Romsey 3-0 up.

Brewers goalkeeper Matt Petts was then forced into a save from Clifton before Alton were handed a lifeline. Sanderson had a shot blocked and in the melee that followed Chandler was fouled in the penalty area and the referee had no hesitation pointing to the spot. Chandler duly dusted himself down and sent the Romsey goalkeeper the wrong way to give Alton hope.

Buoyed by the goal, Alton put together a fine move involving Bunyan and Jackson which saw the latter’s cross flicked on by Sanderson and Liam Knight turned and shot home from the edge of the box to score Alton’s second in four minutes to drag his side back into the game at 3-2.

Jackson then had a shot blocked before Romsey scored a crucial fourth just before half time when a defence-splitting ball found Dunn, who rounded Petts and slotted home.

The game became more open at the start of the second half, with a Chandler free kick saved and the Romsey defence clearing the danger before fine a run by Romsey full back Fawley at the other end saw his cross find Clifton unmarked at the far post, but he somehow managed to miscue his shot over the crossbar.

Callum Burch then had a shot saved as an entertaining game went from end to end before two goals in two minutes put the game well and truly out of Alton’s reach. And once Romsey scored their sixth goal, they saw the game out comfortably despite a Steve Black header that was tipped over by the Romsey keeper and a fine through ball from Max Smith that just skipped away from Jackson.

A club spokesman said: “Romsey are by far the best side Alton have played this season and it’s easy to see why they are just three points off the top of the table.”

On Saturday, Alton travel across the Isle of Wight to face Newport at St George’s Park (kick-off 3pm).

Alton Town: Petts, Chandler, Graham, Smith, Tanner, Adkins, Jackson, Black, Sanderson, Bunyan, Knight. Subs: Williams, Burch, Watts, Corbett.