Romsey 17pts, Alton 68pts

AS the final score suggests, this was an excellent performance by Alton as they took revenge for four seasons of losses to Romsey, made all the sweeter because it was at Romsey’s ground where they had been beaten only once in the current campaign.

The first score came after just six minutes when winger Ryan Bale finished off a good inter-linking move between the forwards and backs when he safely gathered a long miss pass from stand-off Joe Gwyther, who scored himself five minutes later when he chipped the defence, gathered his own kick and gave himself an easy conversion for a 12-0 lead.

Ten minutes later full-back Mike Robson was the beneficiary of a pitch-length move involving most of the team which Gwyther finished off with another miss pass, good recycling of the ball on 28 minutes freed Bale for his second try, and Robson followed suit five minutes later, with Gwyther converting, as Alton romped into a 29-0 lead.

At this point Romsey woke up and got themselves on the scoresheet with an unconverted try, but hooker Luke Parratt restored Alton’s big advantage as they led 34-5 at the break.

And Alton began the second half the way they finished the first, with No8 Tony Hopkin scoring after taking a quick penalty and Gwyther adding the extras for a 41-5 lead.

Hopkin’s try stung Romsey into belated action and they scored two tries in as many minutes, one of which was converted, to add a little respectability to the scoreline, trailing 41-17.

But that turned out to be their last scoring contribution as Alton took full control with tries from Sam Bridger, when he ran in from 22 metres untouched, and two more from Bale to take his total to four for the day.

And Alton weren’t finished there, with Parratt picking up his second try after a bullocking run by second row Chris Gregory which Gwyther converted and replacement Alex Hayward used his not-inconsiderable bulk to force over Alton’s final try.

On Saturday, Alton host Bec Old Boys in the third round of the London South East Junior Vase (1.15pm).