CHINEHAM 5, ALTON 31

ALTON, making their first visit to Chineham in the league, moved up to a more secure sixth place in Hampshire 2 with a competent, if unspectacular performance against the division’s bottom side.

It was a third successive win for Alton and with Chineham’s pitch having a similar slope to that at Anstey Park, the visitors felt at home playing uphill in the first half.

So much so that they took a 7-0 lead within two minutes. A clearance kick was charged down and the three-quarters pounced with quick hands to move it right and a final flipped pass put centre Fran Williams clear to touch down below the posts, leaving a simple conversion for George Pantrey.

Alton scored again just eight minutes later as the ball passed swiftly along the backs. Right-wing Ryan Bale swerved skilfully to avoid both the defender and touch-line and made space for full-back Mike Robson to dot down, again under the sticks, Pantrey converting to make it 14-0.

Next, Williams was held up after a forceful run, but the forwards piled in and No 8 Tony Hopkins helped himself to a try.

Pantrey nailed his third kick and although Chineham’s forwards came more into the game to keep Alton at bay, the visitors took a healthy 21-0 lead into the interval.

Straight from the restart, Alton, with the slope now in their favour, resumed the attack. They knocked on at a lineout, but a poor clearance kick from the resultant scrum gave Robson the chance to run at speed, dancing along the touch-line before passing inside for Williams to score his second try of the game. Pantrey missed for once, but Alton had a much-needed bonus point.

Using their forwards to good effect, Chineham replied with an unconverted try, but these were to be their only points of the game.

Alton camped in home territory for most of the remaining time. Twice, they were denied tries, with the referee unsighted, but finished on a high note when Ryan Capes finished off a move started by the backs and then driven on by the forwards.

Alton will host Farnborough, the Hampshire 2 champions with 13 victories in 15 matches, in their last league match of the season on April 7 (ko 3pm at Anstey Park). Anything is possible if in-form Alton can lift their game just one more notch.