Alton Town 2, Totton & Eling 3

TO anyone looking at the league table before the game, and indeed probably to some watching the game, this was a strange result as the visitors twice came from behind before snatching victory at the death after Alton had dominated the 90 minutes.

But it’s goals that win matches and the home side simply didn’t take their chances.

In bright sunshine and a swirling wind, Alton wasted an early free kick as a prelude to a long spell of pressure. Liam Knight wriggled his way along the byline but his cross was missed by everyone in the six-yard box and Totton goalkeeper Oli Eyres did well to hold a low cross from Steve Phillips.

As the sunshine gave way to heavy rain Knight reached a ball on the left wing that the defender thought was going out, but Matt Benham was too high from the cross and Eyres then somehow got both hands to a close range header.

As is often the case in these situations, having been very much on the back foot the visitors had the first real chance. Joe Southerden broke clear as the home defence failed to deal with a long ball forward but keeper Steve Douglas advanced quickly, got his hand to the shot, and then smothered the follow up.

Alton continued to press and when Matt Graham found Luke Perkins in space on the right, the winger cut inside only to see his effort from some 20 yards rebound off the crossbar.

But with half an hour gone the pressure finally bore fruit as Knight’s long cross from the left was headed home from almost under the bar by George Bowerman to give the Brewers the lead.

The same player nearly had a second but was forced wide by the advancing Totton keeper and had to settle for a corner that came to nothing.

Totton then suffered two cautions in as many minutes before levelling the scores on the brink of half time. A free kick from the left touchline was headed back across goal from the far post and forced over the line by Southerden, leaving everyone to depart at half time wondering how Alton weren’t well in front.

Happily the sunshine had re-appeared after the interval and after a Knight shot was too high Totton survived a scramble in their goalmouth when Eyres palmed away a cross that he perhaps could have caught before Harry Burns was only inches too high from distance at the other end.

A scuffle in the centre circle then added to the cautions when a word would have sufficed before Matt Graham’s cultured left foot set Knight free on the left, but for what seemed the umpteenth time there was nobody in the danger area.

But Alton did get their act together in the 63rd minute. Graham swung a corner in from the left and the unmarked Phil Moore’s header cleared everyone and nestled inside the post.

Eyres left his area to deny Bowerman as the Brewers hunted up a decisive third goal – and suddenly it was all square again. There seemed little threat as the ball was worked down the right but the home defence, to a man, simply watched the ball on its way and Johnny McAuley rolled it past the stranded goalkeeper.

Both sides used their full quota of substitutes, though it was a surprise to see the ever-dangerous Knight replaced for the home side, and Alton nearly got the goal that may well have ended proceedings when the visiting defence gave the ball away and Benham’s snap shot on the turn struck the base of the post.

But well into stoppage time it was then the Alton defence’s turn to give the ball away and Totton made them pay. McAuley made ground down the middle, his shot was blocked and Burns fired the loose ball home from 15 yards to cue blue-shirted celebrations.

The final whistle went immediately upon the re-start and Totton & Eling had gained three valuable points from a game that probably should have been out of their reach by half-time. But in fairness they defended stubbornly, never gave up and came very much more into proceedings in the second half.

On Saturday, the Brewers will look to reestablish their promotion push with a trip to the Isle of Wight to face Newport.