Alton's faint hopes of promotion were extinguished after they were well beaten by a much-improved New Milton side at the Ashley Sports Ground.

Costly defensive lapses in the opening quarter and the start of second half left Alton chasing the game and hard as they tried, they just could not claw their way back into the match.

This was a much different New Milton outfit from the one that succumbed rather meekly at Anstey Park in October.

The New Forest side have struggled for consistency this season, but Saturday's performance showed what they are capable of, at least on their own patch.

And in full-back Bryn Darbyshire - who contributed 15 points in an excellent all-round display - they have a player of immense ability.

This was a sobering defeat for Alton, who conceded 30 points for the first time this season and four tries for only the second. The defensive record is something of which they should be rightly proud but they conceded rather too easily on this occasion.

One reason for cheer was the discipline, which showed a major improvement on recent weeks. Furthermore, Alton looked good in attack and the forwards edged the set-pieces but the finishing lacked precision. The performance lacked zest - a possible consequence of last week's disappointing defeat to Trojans.

New Milton flew out of the blocks and opened the scoring in the third minute when Chris Connacher brushed aside some frail tackling and ghosted down the blind side to score in the left-hand corner.

Steven Ott cut the lead to 5-3 with a penalty goal in the 16th minute but New Milton struck again four minutes later.

Pacy outside-centre Joe Evans found a yawning gap in Alton's midfield and only a last-gasp Dan Forsyth tackle denied him a try.

The reprieve was only temporary. The New Milton forwards laid siege to the Alton and when the ball was eventually shipped wide, Evans had acres of space to round off the move he started.

Bryn Darbyshire converted for a 12-3 lead but Alton responded with gusto and on 29 minutes they notched their opening try.

A pick-up and drive from number eight Andy Hayward set up an attacking position on the right side of the home 22; from the resulting ruck, the ball was spun left and Bruce Oliphant, lurking in the centres, flicked a deft reverse pass to Silas Jones on the charge, and the flanker darted under the posts.

Ott converted and the force was back with Alton but though they pressed and pressed, the half-time whistle intervened before they could add any further score.

As is often the case, the interval came too soon for Alton and New Milton struck again two minutes into the second period.

An innocuous-looking back-move seemed to be going nowhere, but Darbyshire found another gear and escaped down the left flank before drawing Ott and slipping an inside pass to flanker Phil Jenner, who crashed over.

Alton then endured a torrid fifteen minutes. Jason Rees and his replacement Alistair Willman were both forced to leave the pitch with head injuries and in the meantime, Darbyshire added two more penalties - one a 45-yard monster - as well a try of his own. He converted and New Milton were almost home and dry at 30-10.

The visitors restored some pride when Winston Carter, tireless and dynamic in the loose, set up quick ruck ball and quick hands from Jones gave Luke Parratt a consolation score, but it was too little, too late.

It is not all doom and gloom for Alton. Oliphant's line-out work and his athletic display at second-row point to bright times ahead, while scrum-half Matt Pead's return to Alton colours was welcome. But this was a bad collective day at the office.

* Alton have a weekend off before they travel to second-placed Ellingham and Ringwood. While Alton are not mathematically out of the promotion race, Ellingham, whose game at Trojans was postponed, need only a single point to guarantee the sole pay-off spot.

New Milton: Darbyshire; Connacher, Evans, Oliver (c), Neal; Gould, Golobex; Brooks, Early, Keating; Chappell, Ewen; Mason, Jenner, Colein. Reps: Baker, Hann, Wale.

Alton: Ott; Wills, Rees (Willman 55; Kerr 65), Davies, Johns; Hopkin (Ross 11-16), Parratt (c), Gay; Oliphant, White; Jones, Carter, Hayward.