Saints Punish Wasteful Alton

Alton's recent league revival came to an end when they were well beaten by Southampton at Test Park.

Tries from lock Mark Mauger, wing James Parkes and full-back Julian Robins condemned Alton to an eighth league defeat that leaves them hovering precariously above the drop-zone on points difference.

It was a day of unrelenting frustration for Alton and their supporters. The scoreline does not suggest it, but Alton dominated possession and spent three-quarters of the game inside Southampton territory; they edged the scrums, dominated the second-half line-outs, and created enough chances to win the game with something to spare. They will play much worse and lose; they can and must play much, much better.

But this game proved to be a cursory lesson in how to win rugby matches: you take your chances and defend as if your lives depend upon it. Southampton did precisely that.

In fairness to Alton, they did create openings and showed some occasional flashes of inspiration; they were always busy and sought to throw the ball wide at every opportunity. Crucially, however, the basics of handling and passing deserted them at crucial points in the match. There was too much anxiety and not enough control.

Southampton squeezed every last drop of experience from their older heads - and there were plenty of them - and the old boys did them proud.

Veteran stand-off Dave Griffiths pulled most of the strings for Saints. Always controlled, he had time on the ball and his kicking out of hand frequently took Southampton out of choppy waters. He and number eight Alan Butler, with some punishing runs from the base of scrums, constantly undermined Alton, but it was Saints' big, experienced pack that ultimately stifled their opponents.

But two of Saints three tries came from Alton's worrying ability to shoot themselves in the foot.

With just two minutes gone, Alton contrived to lose a defensive line-out deep inside their twenty-two and, following a series of pick-and-drives, prop Mauger plunged over.

However, Saints' second try - on 26 minutes - was magnificent and it all started from an ominous-looking Alton attack. Robins cleverly tapped Steve Ott's dangerous cross-kick into the hands of centre Dave Bray, whose break took him from his twenty-two to deep into Alton territory; two quick rucks and innumerable pairs of hands later, Parkes squeezed over in the right-hand corner. Heady stuff.

If one player represented the work ethic that Alton require, it was flanker Shane Watts, and he was denied a try shortly after the interval when a storming break took him all the way but Robins' tackle forced him to spill the ball over the line.

That missed chance rather encapsulated Alton's day: good in parts but no final product. Shortly afterwards, Dan Forsyth just had to gather the ball and fall under the posts but Ott's neat off-load was just behind him, and time and time again Alton worked their way into good positions, only for a stray pass or a knock-on to ruin everything.

A Griffiths penalty midway through the second half, from a rare foray into Alton territory, extended the lead to fifteen points and Saints sealed their win with a third try nine minutes from the end.

Centre David Ward's speculative chip over the Alton defence was hacked on by Robins, and he had the gas to make the score. Griffiths' conversion put the boot into Alton just a little bit harder.

Alton face a crucial relegation battle this weekend when fellow strugglers United Services visit Anstey Park (kick-off 2.30pm). An Alton win will see them overhaul the Navy side and could go a long way to securing Hampshire One survival.

Southampton: Robins; Scott, Ward, Gray, Parkes; Griffiths, Brant; Coffin (c), Dymott, Simmons; Budd, Mauger; Stewart, Long, Butler.

Tries: Mauger, Parkes, Robins;

Conversions: Griffiths (2);

Penalty: Griffiths.

Alton: Johns; Eade, Forsyth, Ott, White (rep: O'Neil 60); Collins, Jones-Rogers; Happel, Parratt (c), Gay; Greenhalgh, Osborne (rep: MacDonell 60).

Yellow cards: Johns (Alton, 75), Carter (Alton, 76), Griffiths (Saints, 76).