Winchester II 5pts, Alton 44pts

ALTON returned to league action when they visited North Walls Park in Winchester to play the bottom side in Hampshire 1.

The visitors knew that the home side could cause them problems as their unbeaten first XV head London South West 3 – two leagues above Alton.

But Alton played a careful, determined game, but maybe without the flair they had showed previously at Romsey.

The result was virtually secured in the first half-hour with centre Brendan Sumner helping himself to a hat-trick of tries.

First he ran onto a short ball on the blind side of a ruck five metres out, the second he finished a cross-field move by his fellow backs, and his third came from a move that had started from a lineout in Alton’s half, on their 10-metre line, and passed through a lot of pairs of hands.

Number 8 Tony Hopkin decided that it was his turn when the pack, who were dominant in the tight and lineout all afternoon, drove Winchester back over their own goal line. Stand-off Joe Gwyther converted and at half-time Alton led 22-0.

Eight minutes into the second half Hopkin again capitalised when the pack drove the home side off its own ball.

And ten minutes later, full-back Fran Williams put a deft chip kick over the Winchester defence and Michael Robson raced over from 25 metres out.

Alton’s next try came a few minutes later when prop Nick Stoffel, who had been active all afternoon, selected route one from a lineout to charge over, taking a lot of the defence with him. Gwyther again added the conversion.

Immediately afterward, Winchester benefited from an interception to make their contribution to the scoreboard, trailing 39-5.

But winger Ryan Bale finished off the scoring when he completed a flowing move as the Alton backs broke out of defence, and he has now scored at least once in every league match except one.

On Saturday, Alton face Locksheath Pumas at Anstey Park (kick-off 2pm). Their visitors are currently lying fourth in Hampshire 1 having scored 100 points without reply last weekend.