Alton have not travelled well in 2006 and are still seeking their first away win in Hampshire One.

Their woes on the road continued on Saturday at league strugglers Farnborough, and their 24-16 defeat has all but ended any lingering hopes of promotion back into the London leagues in 2007. It was a disappointing end to the year for a side that has frequently dazzled but has been infuriatingly inconsistent - Alton really are a rugby equivalent of Jekyll and Hyde.

Saturday's effort was a case in point. Alton endured a horrible opening forty minutes and left themselves with Everest to climb in the second half.They gave it their best shot and were on their way to overhauling a 24-6 deficit when the clock and the final whistle intervened.

Kudos to Farnborough, however, who were manifestly better than a side battered by 50 points at Ellingham the previous week should have been. They defended resolutely in the second period and secured a welcome two points that will ease their relegation fears over the festive period.

From an Alton perspective, the damage was done in a torrid opening twenty-minute period at the start of the game. Farnborough scored two tries and nearly scored two more as Alton's midfeld defensive wall, usually one of its strongest aseets, was breached repeatedly.

Only eleven minutes had passed when Farnborough stand-off Andy Dowan cut a straight line through the Alton defence from a scrummage, and his well-timed pass allowed centre Paul Baker a clear run under the sticks.

Bruce Oliphant responded with a short-range penalty to reduce the arrears but 'Boro extended their lead in the 24th minute with a try that was a near-replica of the first: this time it was Baker who knifed through the middle of the Alton midfield and he fed flanker Leigh Boyle for the score.

It could have been worse: another Boyle break put left-wing Carl Morrey in the clear and he was denied a try by a wondrous last-ditch tackle from his opposite number, Ben Wallace.

Oliphant reduced the arrears with his second penalty but the home side notched their third try on the stroke of half-time.

Alton knocked on in their own dead-ball area and from the resulting scrum, inside-centre Ian Lyddon took a simple short pass to crash over.

Dowan - who is bound for London 2 side Old Colfeians and was playing his final game for 'Boro - converted all three tries for a 21-6 interval lead and he extended Farnborough's advantage straight after restart when Alton were penalised for offside.

Then came the fightback. Alton threw caution to the wind - and the kitchen sink - at Farnborough but they were repeatedly thwarted, either by an untimely error or desperate defence.

Winston Carter and Jason Rees went close for Alton before Steven Johns, again enjoying an assured game at stand-off, picked out Oliphant in the right-hand corner with a precise cross-kick, and the wing held his nerve and the ball to score.

Still Alton probed and, although Wallace darted over in the left-hand corner with eight minutes left on the clock to give the visitors some hope, it proved to be too little, too late, and the game was gone.

* Alton have said farewell to two of Saturday's side.

Giant number eight Simon Doel is hanging up his boots after a lengthy career at the club. Immense as a player and a personality, Doel was a first-team regular for many years and played most of his senior rugby at lock. He will continue to work at the club in a coaching capacity.

Prop Stu Bratt is moving to National League One outfit Henley, although he will play his league rugby in South West One for Reading Abbey, Henley's feeder club. He was at Alton for nearly three years and as well as being an abrasive and technically strong scrummager, his trademark bullocking runs have won him many admirers at Anstey Park.

Farnborough: R Martin; T Fetiger, I Lyddon, P Baker, C Morrey; A Dowan, M Veall; K Osbourne, G Stewart, P Williams; M Allen, W Eckersley; R Graham, L Boyle, S Crump.

Alton: A Willman; B Oliphant, J Rees, A Davies, B Wallace; S Johns, H Pettit (M Pead 45); S Watts, L Parratt (c), S Bratt; R White, M Greenhalgh; S Jones, W Carter, S Doel (E Ross 55).

* Alton II were soundly beaten 30-0 by a resurgent Petersfield in their Hampshire Senior Merit Table game at Anstey Park.