Laverstock & Ford 3, Alton Town 0

HAPLESS Alton Town’s hideous losing run continued with a Jekyll & Hyde performance against Laverstock & Ford on Saturday.

The first half was as poor as the second half was good, where with a bit of luck Alton could have got back into the game after being three down at the break.

On the bright side, it was a half where for the first time in a long time that no goals were conceded after half time.

But the end result was depressingly the same and stretched the Brewers’ dismal losing run to ten games in the league and 12 in all competitions.

Playing up a slight slope in the first half, Alton again had chances of their own before going behind.

First, the home goalkeeper held a Matt Graham free kick before a subsequent Matt Petts kick was flicked on by Matt Bunyan, but Adam Allaway’s shot sailed harmlessly over the crossbar.

Gavin Muir was then fouled by a no-nonsense Laverstock defender as he was about to shoot but the resulting free kick came to nothing.

At the other end, Laverstock’s Bourner had a shot saved by Petts before the Laverstock keeper rescued his side as he just got to the ball as Steve Black lined up a shot after good work by Muir and Bunyan.

Laverstock then forced two corners in quick succession before Alton failed to deal with a ball into the box which allowed Russell Jones to steal the ball and give Petts no chance.

The goal spurred Laverstock on as they sensed that Alton might fall apart, with Max Adolphe racing back to clear off his goal line with Petts beaten before the Town shotstopper foiled Jones with his feet.

But Laverstock weren’t to be denied and they doubled their lead after picking up a soft free kick close to the centre circle. With several Brewers players remonstrating with the referee, the home side took the kick quickly which allowed Tommy Campbell-Smith to nip in and round Petts.

Petts was called into action again moments later but was helpless to prevent Jones racing through the middle and lobbing a third goal to all but put the match out of Town’s reach at the break.

After strong words in the dressing room at half time, it was a much better second-half performance from Alton as they pressed more effectively and stopped giving Laverstock time on the ball – and they carried a much greater attacking threat.

Adolphe headed wide from a corner before Muir, the smallest player on the pitch, got a header in but a Laverstock defender got back to clear off the line with the goalkeeper beaten.

Liam Knight was giving his marker a torrid time and was fouled 20 yards from goal. Max Smith’s free kick beat the Laverstock goalkeeper but such is Alton’s luck at the moment that it cannoned back off the crossbar.

Smith then shot over before Petts was called on to make his first save of the second half.

With Alton in command and pressing they were lucky when Chae Sykes broke free and, with only Petts to beat and no defender near him, put his shot wide.

And try as they might Alton couldn’t find a goal that their second-half performance warranted, and so the unwanted losing run continues.

Alton Town: Petts, Graham, Adolphe, Williams, Allaway, Smith, Black, Osborne, Knight, Muir, Bunyan.

* On Saturday, Alton Town travel to face fellow strugglers New Milton Town, who lie 17th in Wessex League Division One, at Fawcetts Field (kick-off 3pm).