ALTON 2, FAREHAM V 3

IT’S been a superb season for Alton, who are promoted as champions from Hampshire 3, but their final mission to remain unbeaten ended in failure when they lost to Fareham V at Amery Hill on Saturday.

All seemed to be going to plan as the home side took the lead in under a minute, Nick Bagley-Reed storming into the circle and dispatching the ball with ease.

Alton continued to push hard, with chances falling to Stuart Gagen and Tom Singleton. However, Fareham were still very much a threat and equalised after catching an over-confident Alton pressing too high.

Alton were clearly shaken and there was a change in momentum as Fareham pushed the champions back into their own half.

The visitors slid the ball under Lawrence Jones to take the lead and things got worse for Alton before half-time when a mistake gifted Fareham a third goal.

Alton came out firing in the second half and Jack Hawkes and Richard Spicer made good early runs. But Fareham were a constant threat on the break and only the post denied them a fourth goal.

A string of penalty corners gave Alton several chances and finally Gagen was on hand to make it 2-3 with not long to go.

Fareham put bodies on the line to protect their slender lead, while Jones made two fine saves to keep Alton in the game.

In the final two minutes Singleton came agonisingly close on the reverse and both Bagley-Reed and Gagen were denied by the keeper.

In the final act of the game, skipper Nigel Downing fired a ball to the far post where top scorer Gagen just failed to get his stick on it. Fareham breathed a huge sigh of relief at the final whistle.

Not the way Alton would have liked the season to end, but they can still hold their heads high after finishing seven points clear at the top with 19 wins, two draws and only one loss, not to mention an impressive tally of 118 goals, giving them an incredible +92 goal difference.