Ott Kicks Alton Out of the Relegation Zone

Fifteen points from the boot of Steven Ott and a try from wing James Ross helped Alton get the better of local rivals Farnborough in a vital relegation game at Farnborough Park.

Ott slotted five penalties from six attempts to secure a crucial victory that takes Alton out of the relegation zone.

It was a poor game, but Alton will not care a jot.

The confidence and. equally importantly, the smiles are returning after a dismal start that saw Alton lose their first six league games.

The win also proved to be a fitting send-off for head coach Lee Goodall.

Goodall, a highly popular figure at Anstey Park, is leaving the club due to an increase in business commitments that will restrict the time he is able to spend with the players in coming months.

He leaves behind a revitalised side that has won its last four league and cup games and is starting to play again.

Alton largely controlled a frenetic, penalty-strewn affair which occasionally spilled into violence and spawned few chances - one, to be precise.

That came as early as the fifth minute, courtesy of nifty piece of thinking by Ott.

Farnborough infringed in front of their posts and it looked as though Ott would take the shot at goal, but instead he took a quick tap and his pass found Ross in acres of space on the left, allowing the wing an easy score.

Far from heralding a game of running rugby, the try proved to be the sole highlight of a dour first period.

The home side enjoyed a clear edge in the scrummage but failed to gain any real advantage because their line-out malfunctioned badly and their discipline repeatedly let them down.

Farnborough conceded ten first-half penalties - 16 in all - and Ott repeatedly punished them.

He nudged Alton into an 11-0 lead with penalties in the 26th and 35th minutes, the latter resulting in the sin-binning of Farnborough prop Mark Allen for some off-the-ball shenanigans.

Boro centre Mark Angell almost carved out an opening shortly before half-time after his lovely angled run opened up the Alton defence, but his off-load was knocked on by hooker Gareth Stewart and the chance went begging.

The quick-footed and lighnting quick Angell looked the business but the Farnborough captain, and all the backs for that matter, had few opportunities and little space in which to shine.

Stand-off Andy Dowan did reduce the deficit to 11-3 shortly afterwards but Ott restored Alton's eleven-point lead four minutes after the interval, and landed his fourth penalty with a quarter of the game remaining after yet another Farnborough infringement in the ruck.

The second half proved to be little more of a spectacle than the first, though a timely tackle from Ross denied Richard Fetiger when a kindly bounce from a miscued kick put the Boro wing in the clear.

The home side toiled manfully but struggled to create any headway against a brick-wall Alton defence, for whom flankers Winston Carter and Andrew Davies, and centres Ott and Bart van Heerwijn, tackled relentlessly.

As a whole, Alton's work-rate and cohesion in defence were exemplary.

Davies even denied the home side a consolation try eight minutes from the end with an outrageous piece of pickpocketing in which he simply pilfered the ball from a Farnborough rolling maul that seemed to be heading inexorably towards the Alton line.

Fittingly, it was the inspirational Ott who made the final contribution of the game by slotting his fifth penalty to secure a vital, if unspectacular, two points that sees Alton end a difficult year on a high note.

Farnborough (3) 3

Pen: Dowan (40+1);

Alton (11) 20

Try: Ross;

Pens: Ott (26, 35, 44, 59, 80).

Farnborough (unconfirmed): P Moore; T Fetigan, Angell, Waka, C Morrey; A Dowan, M Veall; G Stewart, M, C Blandin, M Allen, G Hughes, R Graham; K Osbourne, S Crump, A Naeq.

Alton: S Johns; A O'Neil, B van Heerwijn, S Ott; K Collins, J Grace; J Happel, L Parratt (c), J Gay; M France, S Eade (T Hopkin 22 - 25); W Carter, A Davies, G MacDonell (S Watts 66).