EASTLEIGH 8, FARNHAM 0

EASTLEIGH’S title ambitions had all but disappeared before this game, but they put on their best London 3SW performance for some time to beat Farnham in a mudbath at Bishopstoke Road, thus avenging their earlier defeat at Monkton Lane.

Two successive wins had put Farnham back in the promotion picture, but, strangely flat on the day, they were never allowed to get going or, more precisely, were battered back by the Eastleigh marauders.

On a glutinous, energy-sapping morass, it was never a classic, as the 8-0 scoreline testifies, but the sheer effort to play conventional rugby was a credit to all the players.

Farnham have been scoring for fun recently, but this was a different story: boggy pitch, slippery ball, mistakes aplenty.

The visitors started on the front foot, yet were indecisive. A probing box-kick by Ollie Brown set up an early opportunity, but the forwards were outgunned. Ferocious rucking kept the Farnham defence on the back foot and with their loose five allowed little scope by the referee at the turnover, the visitors’ frustration mounted.

The tackle count mounted and despite the odd siege-lifting kick from skipper Mike Salmon, Farnham were kept pinned inside their own 22.

The pressure began to tell and with Farnham struggling for purchase on the greasy surface, a lineout catch-and-drive moved Eastleigh inexorably closer to the line until Dan Achilles finally powered over for an unconverted try – the only points of the first half.

Farnham’s defence had been outstanding, but from an attacking point, they had not joined the party.

The sizeable travelling support expected more in the second half, but apart from flashes of individual class from the Salmon brothers, the pattern continued as Farnham were forced to soak up pressure.

Toby Salmon was sin-binned for what appeared to be a fairly innocuous tackle on his opposite number and a penalty at the breakdown enabled Eastleigh to increase their lead, with Phil Baldwin nailing an important kick.

Thereafter, Eastleigh never looked like surrendering their two-score cushion.

The home defence was tested in the late stages and only a last-ditch tackle by Martin Kirby denied Farnham a likely score.

The effort from all 18 Farnham players could not be faulted. Eastleigh just seemed to have more urgency and spite about them – vital factors in the very difficult conditions.