Alton Town 3, Totton & Eling 2

ALTON made hard work of collecting three points in Division One of the Sydenhams Wessex League on Saturday, with missed chances a plenty.

But win they did as the Brewers extended their fine run to one defeat in the last nine matches.

Totton started the quicker of the two teams, forcing three corners in quick succession, all of which were comfortably dealt with by the Alton defence.

And it was the home side who took the lead with their first real chance.

Totton had been caught offside, and Petts’s free kick was headed on by Bunyan toward Gavin Muir who got in behind the Totton defence. Visiting goalkeeper Ward rushed out to meet him but he managed to slide the ball past him and into the net.

The game then became a dour midfield battle broken up by numerous free kicks for both sides, and it was from one such kick that Totton fortuitously equalised.

The visitors won a free kick some 30 yards out and Selby had a speculative shot at goal, but somehow Petts seemed to loose his footing as he went to collect the shot and the ball ended up in the back of the net.

Having equalised, Totton tried to put more pressure on Alton and Cordedau headed wide when well placed.

At the other end, Joe Clarke saw a shot sail over the crossbar before Scott Sanderson regained the lead for Alton. The ball bounced around on the edge of the Totton penalty area and it was Sanderson who reacted quickest as he collected the ball and beat off a couple of challenges before shooting home to the goalkeeper’s left.

Back came Totton & Eling and Petts had to be alert to save a header, before Alton were forced to make a change as Muir limped off to be replaced by Liam Knight.

Totton continued to drive forward in a bid to get back into the game and Blackburn shot wide, before a fine move involving Knight and Chandler saw the latter cut in from the left only to see his shot cannon back off the crossbar, and Bunyan was adjudged to be offside as he went for the rebound.

Petts was forced to make a smart save in the first minute of the second half before Alton scored their third. Jackson was fouled just outside the penalty area and Chandler gave the goalkeeper no chance with the free kick as Alton opened up a two-goal lead.

With this goal the game became more open and a Grenham cross was claimed by the goalkeeper before another foul saw Alton take a quick free kick. Knight got past his defender and his cross was cleared for a corner that came to nothing. Jackson then cut inside and had a shot that the goalkeeper saved well.

Totton’s Burns shot wide when well placed at the other end, before another Grenham cross was headed wide by Jackson as Alton went for a fourth goal.

With the game coming to a close, Totton were handed a way back into the game as a cross by Cordedau was mishandled by Petts and dropped over the line for Totton’s second goal.

Totton sensed they may sneak an unlikely draw and put pressure on the Alton back line, but Williams and Spiers held strong and the Brewers saw out the game to claim maximum points.

* On Saturday, Alton host Ringwood Town in Division One of the Sydenhams Wessex League at The Enclosure (kick-off 3pm).