After a heavy and comprehensive defeat at Portsmouth just a few weeks ago in the League, Alton were looking for a big improvement when they welcomed Pompey to Anstey Park. The surface was claggy after the previous day's rain but the weather was fine and the assembled parents looked forward to life on the sidelines.

The game was played in excellent spirit throughout and both sides played an expansive game, with much more counter-attacking than the elite level of the game these days. Portsmouth took the lead within 3 minutes with some solid team play, excellent support lines being offered to the ball carrier and the try was converted.

Alton then applied a sustained period of pressure and started to knock on the door to the visitor's defence. Portsmouth cleared their lines with a kick down the midfield which Alton's fullback, Ed Simmons, collected and ran back strongly. A couple of steps and a strong fend saw the line broken and Ed crossed for a powerful try.

The game ebbed and flowed, both sides creating chances thwarted by scrambling defences. A penalty was awarded to the home side which Joe Gwyther converted to put Alton into a deserved lead of 8-7 at half time. This was actually Alton's first ever penalty score in nearly two years of 15-a-side rugby! Alton had a large squad in attendance and wholesale changes were made at half time; all 24 players got at least half a game except hooker Ed Pasfield who had retired hurt.

In the second half the game continued to thrill the supporters, both sides were committed in attack and defence. Following a few phases Portsmouth manage to suck the Alton defence into a narrow pattern and moved the ball skillfully out wide to score another converted try, the game now poised at 8-14 with plenty of time for further scoring.

The sides however, continued to cancel each other's threats out and it came down to the final play. Alton won a line out on the right and attacked the Portsmouth midfield. Centre Josh Smith offloaded neatly out the back to full back Ed Simmons who then broke the line and stepped his opposite number to score close to the posts. Try given! A conversion would now win it for the home side and Joe Gwyther called for the kicking tee. Controversially, the Portsmouth touch judge intervened and called the ref's attention to what he viewed had been a forward pass. The ref accepted the TJ's advice and disallowed the try. Regrettably this decision decided the outcome of the game to the consternation of the home players and supporters.

That's the way the cookie crumbles sometimes and such calls have to accepted. Alton will take many positives from the game and their performance, right through the squad and will certainly feel they have laid a few ghosts of past perfromances to rest. Still, much more to work on before the forthcoming tour to Wales.

Alton points:-

Try - Ed Simmons; Penalty - Joe Gwyther