ROMSEY 7

ALTON18

IF Alton find themselves in contention for promotion from Hampshire I next spring, they will thank their lucky stars they ground out wins like this.

You do not win rugby titles by beating mid-table teams by 30 points at home and then losing the return fixture. Alton will not need reminding that for two seasons they were near invincible at home, yet won only three times on the road. That is why they finished third.

They lie third now, but there are signs that their coltish squad is starting to come of age. This was their third straight away win.

Romsey gave the visiting forwards a thorough going-over and for the first time this campaign, the Alton scrummage found itself under genuine pressure.

It was the backs – specifically their half-backs – who gave Alton a decisive edge in a lively encounter.

The average age of the Alton front row is about 21 and while John Happel, Luke Parratt and Steve Osborne are technically strong in the scrummage, collectively they are not the biggest.

Against a bigger and more experienced trio, they had to work their socks off.

Scrum-half Matt Pead's cool-head under pressure was vital currency. His composure at the base of the scrum and a ferocious defensive display from his back row gave Alton solidity when they really needed it.

And despite their travails in the set-pieces, Alton always carried the greater threat outside the dark recesses of scrum, ruck and maul.

Alton had only had Jack Price's 23rd-minute penalty to show for their early efforts, but shortly before the interval, they extended their lead with a superb try.

Ryan Carter and Steve Johns combined well in midfield, before linking with full-back Dan Forsyth who hit the back line like a locomotive, breaking two tackles and just about staying on his feet before plunging over.

Price added the extras for a 10-0 interval lead, which he duly extended with his second penalty 10 minutes into the second period.

The game was marred by an unpleasant incident shortly after the break when a spectator verbally abused the referee. When the heckler refused to budge, the referee refused to restart the game and it took an intervention by the Romsey coaching team to defuse the situation.

Romsey hit back and after 10 minutes of pressure, stand-off Andy Stent scored under the posts and then converted to put his side back in the game.

Alton had the final say when Forsyth's dummy run from full-back deceived the tiring home defence and Price ran free for the try. Price converted and Alton were home and dry.