Alton slip to their third Anstey Park defeat after another London 3 nail-biter.

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Another pulsating contest, another maddening 'if only' defeat for Alton.

This was a scrappy and error-strewn affair laced with some high-quality rugby interludes,  and it went right down to the wire.

Alton almost nicked it in the final play of the game when they were awarded a penalty 35 yards out, but Christo Arundel screwed his kick and the chance was gone.

That missed opportunity summed up Alton's day. They had a handful of chances to finish off Alleynians in the second half, but they spurned most of them.

It was a trifle harsh on Arundel. The 18-year-old stand-off's tactical kicking and distribution suggested that he is growing into the number 10 shirt after a torrid start to the league campaign.

Alton played very well in parts, scored three super tries and gave it everything. They edged possession and territory, pilfered plenty of Alleynians' line-out ball and won nine turnovers in all, but ultimately it was a lack of composure and lapses in concentration at key times that cost them the win. A single bonus point is an unsatisfactory return.

Instead, the visitors took most of the few opportunities that came their way and consequently they earned the spoils of victory. Indeed, it seemed that every time Alton nudged in front, Alleynians hit them with a sucker punch.

Furthermore, the Old Boys side proved that speed of thought is oftentimes more effective than quickness of foot. They were more experienced and as a result played the smarter rugby when it mattered.

When muscle was needed to hammer over the gain line, Alleynians usually turned to inside centre George Tuck or open-side flanker Charlie Southern.

Two-try Southern turned in a monster performance - he always took the ball at full throttle and nearly always broke the first tackle. He and prop Kobie van der Westhuizen were Alleynians' ball-carriers-in-chief and continual thorns in Alton's side.

But if Southern was the obvious man of the match, opposite numbers Winston Carter and Shane Watts were not far behind.

Carter's customary jack-in-the-box performance won copious amounts of turnover ball, while the stocky Watts' powerful charges and ability to break tackles constantly aggravated Alleynians.

Southern opened the scoring after just seven minutes when he took a flat pass from scrum-half Phil Kent on the charge and bulldozed over from five metres out.

His second, on the stroke of half-time, was as much about the flanker's speed of thought as Alton's slowness to react. When Alleynians were awarded a penalty eight yards from the Alton line, Southern's quick tap caught everyone off guard and he charged over for the try.

In between times, Arundel kicked a penalty for Alton and converted a Steve Ott try that owed everything to Watts. The stocky flanker popped up at inside centre, bounced and crashed through four would-be tacklers and went on a 30-yard charge before off-loading the scoring pass to Ott.

Arundel converted and Alton started the second half trailing just 14-10 with the wind and slope in their favour.

Matt O'Connor went close twice immediately after the interval, but Alton's most sustained period of pressure was rewarded when Ott went over for his second try, a short pass from Arundel giving him a clear run-in after eight punishing phases had sucked in the defensive cover.

But it was another quick tap penalty that caught Alton cold and led to Alleynians' third try. Kent's quick thinking freed outside Andrew Aitkin on a searing break which Alton just about managed to halt, but from the resulting five-metre scrum Kent and number 8 Jonny Wright worked the blindside to send wing Sandy Waring over.

Alton rallied again, Ford's blindside break and Bruce Oliphant's wonderfully sneaky off-load sending Luke Parratt over in the corner for a 22-19 lead at the hour mark.

Alleynians responded immediately and their winning score came moments later when full-back Owen Jones crossed after relentless pressure on the Alton line.

However, there was still time for drama. With four minutes left, Alton again worked the blindside and Ott broke into the Alleynians 22, only to see his attempted inside pass intercepted by Aitkin just eight yards from the line.

Alton take a break from league action this weekend. Their next assignment takes them to Imber Court on 23 October to take on bottom club London South Africa in a must-win game.

Alton: Forsyth; O'Connor, Hemmens, Ott, Van Rensburg (Spencer, 67); Arundel, Crowther; Ovens (Happel, 67), Parratt, Gay (c); Greenhalgh, Oliphant; Watts, Carter, Ford.

Tries: Ott (24, 45), Parratt (60);

Conversions: Arundel (2);

Penalty: Arundel (17).

Old Alleynians: Jones; Waring, Aitkin, Tuck, Abayomi (Rutteman, 37); Docherty, Kent; Woodford (Quartermain, 50), Fison, van der Westhuizen; Austin, Stockdale; Aitken-Read (Thomas, 29), Southern, Wright (c).


Tries: Southern (6, 39), Waring (55), Jones (66);

Conversions: Docherty (3).

H-T: 10-14

Referee: Peter Woodward (London Society).

Other London 3 results:

Camberley 51 - 7 London South Africa;
Ellingham & Ringwood 21 - 29 Old Wellingtonians;
Old Wimbledonians 41 - 19 Fordingbridge;
Petersfield 22 - 18 Winchester;
Sandown and Shanklin 14 - 45 Teddington.