Wow! What a difference having the whole squad turn up to a game makes.

How different from the last couple of games where half a dozen players turn up on time and wonder if we are going to be able to field a team by 11:00 …

Please keep this up guys. A full squad means competition for places, gives coaches options, and enables us to bring on fresh legs.

Instead, it was a depleted Aldershot team which took the pitch on a bright and dry Sunday morning.

Alton controlled the game from the start, Andrew Jones scoring from a set piece penalty and Rob Channon from a well worked move.

We lost a bit of focus in the middle of the game, when we realised that we would win the game at a canter, allowing Aldershot to disrupt our set piece and losing our shape in attack.

Rob Channon, playing at centre, belatedly remembered that he had a winger outside him and put Luke Jackson in for a couple of tries.

We also capitalised around the base of the scrummage, and from pick and go situations; Ben Gillan, Charlie Henry, Andrew Jones (again), and Chris Martin getting scores. Thomas Willis scored twice either side of half-time, Chris added to his earlier try, and Ryan Young came off the bench to score a good try from an unpromising position. Adam Bodner rounded off the scoring with a 30 meter run – one for the front row club annals.

Learning points:

They kicked well from re-starts (of which they had many). We need to sort ourselves out (a) catching the ball from kick off, and (b) back 3 supporting deep kicks.

We need to be more solid in scrummage.

What we did well:

Much better presentation of the ball in contact. Well done!

Man of the Match: Will Robinson for doing all the basics really well. Tackle and presentation of ball in contact situations.

Special mention: Ollie Whitehead for his bullocking runs, and for stepping in for the opposition when their hooker went off.

Scorers: Adam Bodner, Rob Channon, Luke Jackson (2), Andrew Jones (2), Ben Gillan, Charlie Henry, Chris Martin (3) – should that not be drinks all round?, Tom Willis (2) and Ryan Young. Conversions: Adam Gallagher (4)