Postles Injury Forces Abandonment

Alton's Hampshire One league game at Fordingbridge was abandoned after an hour when scrum-half Andy Postles suffered what appeared to be a worrying neck injury.

Postles sustained the injury after making a tackle in which he suffered a blow to the head and neck, and play had to be suspended until paramedics arrived.

In near-darkness and with Postles prostrate on the pitch, the referee had to abandon the game for safety reasons with 18 minutes left.

Fordingbridge led 15-3 when the game was brought to a halt and although the rules state that a result can stand if more than an hour of play has elapsed, it is likely that the game will be rearranged because the lead was not a decisive one.

The home side were well worth their lead. Tries from Dee Stone and wing Dan Brown were a deserved reward for some enterprising and occasionally electrifying Fordingbridge back-play.

Alton started brightly took a fourth-minute lead when Steven Ott slotted a short-range penalty but thereafter it was the home side who, with a stiff wind at their backs, dominated possession and territory.

Stand-off Matt Norton levelled the scores with a penalty on 19 minutes and Fordingbridge took the lead eight minutes before half-time with a superb individual try by former London Irish Academy centre Stone.

Stone took a pass forty yards out, stepped past the on-rushing Alton defence and made a lightning break, before forcing his way over the try-line.

Stone and centre partner Tim Brittan constantly troubled Alton with their angles of running and quick feet, but Alton's defence was resilient, if a little desperate at times.

But Brown extended 'bridge's lead five minutes after half-time when Tim Brittan's long cut-out pass carved out an overlap for Stone and he gave the towering wing an easy run-in from 20 yards.

Alton threatened a revival when a rolling-maul brought them close and Ott shaved an upright with a 30-yard penalty attempt but Postles' injury brought the game to an abrupt halt.

Fordingbridge: Steve Brown; Godden, Stone, Brittan (c), Dan Brown; Norton, Gulliver; Evans, Parry, Tyler (Tattersall 27); Vass, Spain; Burton, McCoy (Edwards 41), Donell.

Alton: Johns; Grace, Forsyth, Ott, Ross; Collins (Downer 53), Postles; Happel, Parratt (c, Hopkin 53), Gay; Jones, Greenhalgh; Watts, Davies, MacDonell.

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