Alton Rugby Football Club

ALTON EARN BONUS POINT

Sat 20 Dec 2014, 14:00

Farnborough

20 - 15

Alton

Farnborough

As always between these clubs this game was strongly contested, added to this it was a game between rivals for relegation.

With a beautiful winter sun illuminating the pitch, Farnborough kicked off into the strong wind and within five minutes they were ahead scoring an unconverted try out wide on the left. Alton dominated the next twenty minutes, but due to poor ball retention failed to turn possession into points.

Farnborough scored their second try through their pack which drove over from 15 metres out but were again unable to convert. As in previous weeks Alton attracted the displeasure of the referee on a number of occasions, the inevitable happened when Tyrone Miles took a sin bin for the team. In such a closely contested game it could have been expected that with the advantage in numbers Farnborough would dominate. However, Alton took control and with a couple of penalties found themselves in the home half where they encamped. Eventually the visitors were rewarded with a penalty for offside which Simon Ford kicked clear over the bar to take the score to 10-3.

Alton could have scored again before half-time but a slight misunderstanding led to a penalty for crossing when a try seemed inevitable.

Within a couple of minutes of the start of the second half Alton were back inside Farnborough’s 22 forcing a number of penalty awards, again the referee went for his yellow card. This time the miscreant wore a blue shirt.

Farnborough defended gamely and held up The Alton pack's drive over the line. Alton attacked from the resultant scrum but unfortunately there was a nasty collision of heads, which quite rightly, stopped the game with Alton in the act of scoring. There was a delay of some ten minutes to allow medical attention for the injured.

However within one minute of the restart, Alton scored through Ant Beard out on the left but the conversion attempt was unsuccessful. Score 10-8.

For the next ten minutes the reformed Farnborough side managed to keep a rampant Alton out and about ten minutes from full time scored two further tries to earn a try bonus point. Score 20-8.

Alton did not allow this to dissuade them from their belief that they could still win the game.  The visitors took a quick penalty from which prop Ian Thorn was driven over. The try was converted by Ford to take the final score to 20-15. With a little more time Alton could well have taken this match but unfortunately the referee’s watch beat them!

Referee - Stephen Jeggo (HRURS).

This was Alton’s best performance since September and they earned a losing bonus point for being within 7 points of the victors Farnborough. The league now closes down for Christmas and in the New Year, Alton entertain Fordingbridge at home on 10th January 2015, kick-off 2 p.m.

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