Alton consolidated third spot in Hampshire One after putting fifth-placed Fareham Heathens to the sword at Anstey Park.

Alton consolidated third spot in Hampshire One after putting fifth-placed Fareham Heathens to the sword at Anstey Park.

Their eight-try demolition of the south Hampshire side was as convincing as it sounds, but the first-half performance was as dazzling as anything they have put together this season. Centre Jason Rees scored a seven-minute hat-trick as Alton raced into a 29-0 lead with barely a quarter of the match played, and thereafter it was an exercise in damage limitation for the beleaguered visitors.

Alton head coach Lee Goodall's decision to move training to Fridays - and to Perins School's artificial pitch - is bearing dividends.

His side's passing looked crisp, and the running and support play were bang on the button, despite a heavy, boggy pitch.

And the margin and style of the victory helped Alton to ease painful memories of their dispiriting 20-8 defeat at Heathens' Cams Alders ground in November.

On that day, Alton were out-thought and out-fought by a street-wise and combative Fareham unit - but this time around it was a different story.

In mitigation, Heathens were shorn of four of that side - they have moved to Gosport & Fareham - and the visitors' hopes of following a similar game-plan were discarded in a dreadful opening period in which their defence was repeatedly, and too easily, breached by a resurgent, rampant Alton side.

Sharper in thought, deed and movement, Alton ran the visitors ragged from the off and scored their opening try from the first play of the game.

From the kick-off, the ball was immediately spun wide where wing Bruce Oliphant gathered his own chip ahead; and from the resulting ruck Rees put in an astute cross-kick, from which skipper Luke Parratt, lurking on the right flank, dabbed down.

Nine minutes later, Alton extended their lead through stand-off Steven Johns - his first league try for two years.

Alton dragged the Heathens defence hither and thither with a series of sorties into the wide-open spaces before Johns, five yards out, stepped off his right foot, found a gap and touched down under the sticks.

And on 14 minutes, Rees opened his account after a break and off-load from Johns allowed the inside-centre to ghost in under the posts.

Rees doubled his tally almost immediately after a sweetly executed midfield set-move put him into a yawning gap in centre-field, Johns again providing the assist.

Fellow centre Dan Forsyth was at the hub of the move that led to Rees's hat-trick score in the 21st minute.

Forsyth first released Oliphant on the left and when the ball came right, the young centre's break and well-timed pass put Rees into acres of space on the right flank.

The Welshman made no mistake and eased in for his eleventh try of the season.

Four good tries and 29 unanswered points to the good, this was fifteen-man rugby played with verve and exuberance.

Alton were pegged back four minutes later when Paul Wilkinson pulled a try back for Heathens after a rolling maul and series of close-range drives eventually allowed the flanker to muscle over.

But the Red Bellies extended their lead twelve minutes after the interval when number eight Silas Jones rounded off a lovely sustained counter-attack that started on the left touchline on halfway and finished under the posts a dozen passes later - but it was Jones's last contribution before he was forced to retire with a leg injury.

Heathens then enjoyed a lengthy period of sustained pressure and possession, and laid siege to the Alton line in an uncompromising ten-minute spell midway through the second period.

Throughout the game, Heathens' forwards were strong and well-organised, and won and retained possession as well as their hosts. Julian Beard, at number eight, particularly impressed with some strong running.

But they simply did not attempt to test Alton out wide, even when they had the numbers to do so.

In stark contrast to the home side, Heathens lacked the confidence to let their young backs run at their opponents. Instead, they resorted exclusively to forward drive after forward drive that brought them close but earned them no cigar.

They were rebuffed and normal service was restored when Alton added late tries through wing Ed Clark and flanker Andrew Davies.

Alton are still unbeaten at Anstey Park in Hampshire One and have conceded just 23 points in their seven home games. Their next league visitors are leaders Trojans on the 24 February and the result of that game will have a crucial bearing on the promotion battle.

In the meantime, however, they have the small matter of a Gales Hampshire Bowl semi-final against Petersfield at Anstey Park on Sunday 11 February.

* Alton take a break from league action until 17 February, when they travel to strugglers Millbrook.

Alton: A Willman (R Willis 65); E Clark, D Forsyth, J Rees, B Oliphant; S Johns, J Grace; S Watts (J Kerr 70), L Parratt (c), J Gay; M Greenhalgh, R White; M Forsyth, A Davies, S Jones (A Hayward 55).

Tries: Rees (14, 18, 21), Parratt (1), Johns (10), Jones (51), Clark (67), Davies (70).

Conversions: Oliphant (4).

Fareham Heathens: H Lewis; C Garner, M Whitney, A Reynolds, G Algar; M Raglan, P Charlson; J Nicholson, A Wye, P Mitchell; P Raglan, R Botham; P Wilkinson, C Shepherd, J Beard.

Try: Wilkinson (28).

Pictured: Alton skipper Luke Parratt chases down a loose ball with a Heathen in close attendance.