Ellingham & Ringwood 27pts, Alton 32pts

THIS was always going to be a closely-fought battle between the top two teams in Hampshire 1 – and inspired Alton rose to the ‘cup final’ occasion to clinch the league title with one game to spare.

Hosts Ellingham had needed to beat Alton to maintain their slim hopes of the championship, Alton needed just to draw. But they got the win they needed to cement a wonderful season ahead of their final game of the season on Saturday on home turf against Ventnor.

Alton never underrated the opposition and fielded one of their strongest possible sides, as did the home team.

On a beautiful spring afternoon, the game kicked off in front of a large vocal crowd. Ellingham had held a reunion lunch before the match but only slightly outnumbered their visitors, Alton having filled two coaches in anticipation of securing the Hampshire 1 silverware.

During the first ten minutes the teams sized each other up. Alton were more dominate in the scrummage and lineout, Ellingham very effective in the backs.

But it was Ellingham who were the first to score on ten minutes when they were awarded a penalty ten metres in front of the posts.A straightforward kick gave them a 3-0 lead.

On 17 minutes, Alton’s Luke Parratt was adjudged not to have released in the tackle and was sent to the sin bin for ten minutes. Alton dug in and despite the inequality in numbers forced their way toward the home goal line where No8 Tony Hopkin mounted a charge. From the resultant maul the ball was recycled to the backs and centre Bren Sumner finished off the move in the corner. Joe Gwyther put his mighty conversion over from just two yards inside the touchline to give the visitors a 7-3 lead.

Ellingham regained the lead on the half hour when their forwards put together a good drive to cross for an unconverted try and a slender 8-7 advantage, and they followed this up with another five-point score four minutes later when their excellent backs put together a crisp handling move to put them ahead 13-7.

But on the stroke of half-time Alton were awarded a penalty which was quickly taken and centre Oli Fielder finished off a lightning quick move. The reliable Gwyther again converted the try and Alton led by the narrowest of margins, 14-13.

Motivated by the try on the stroke of half time and with the league title within their grasp, Alton scored a decisive try just two minutes into the second half. Awarded a lineout on the Ellingham 22-metre line, a clean catch allowed the drive to be set up, and there was no stopping it as captain Tom Smethurst was credited with the score. Gwyther again converted as the league leaders gave themselves a little breathing space at 21-13.

And immediately from the resultant restart Alton left winger Oli Burden took a clean catch and headed up his touchline. In spite of a couple of despairing tackles he glided the whole way to the goal-line for an impressive solo score, which also earned a try bonus point and the lead was padded to a handy 26-13.

But just as the title appeared in reach, Alton were then reduced to 14 players when Parratt committed his second yellow card offence, meaning that he had to sit out the remaining 30 minutes of the match.

Ellingham duly pressurised their depleted visitors, who had to reshuffle their pack and replace two other players through injury. And a converted try for the home side just four minutes later had a degree of inevitability about it as the hosts cut the gap to 26-20.

But Alton recovered their poise and headed back into opposition territory and on 52 minutes were awarded a penalty for holding on which Gwyther gratefully converted to stretch the lead to 29-20.

Alton held on for another 12 minutes but then conceded a penalty near their own line. Ellingham opted for a scrum and pushed Alton’s seven men back to secure their bonus try, which was converted, and cut the deficit to 29-27.

Just two points adrift, Ellingham threw everything at Alton, but ten minutes of stout defence followed and there was no change in the score. That was until Alton broke out into the opposite half and were awarded a penalty and Gwyther took the chance to widen the gap to five before the final whistle sounded.

An exciting game of rugby between the two best sides in the league which resulted in two bonus points for the home side and four league points and one bonus point for Alton, with the visitors securing the title while Ellingham will finish in a well-deserved second place.

It has been an impressive performance by the whole squad all season and Alton can celebrate their victorious Hampshire 1 adventure by putting the icing on the cake when they entertain Ventnor at Anstey Park on Saturday (kick-off 3pm).