Alton Town FC hosted Bemerton Heath Harlequins at the weekend for their Sydenham’s Wessex premier league clash.

With Bemerton sitting in 4th place of the table whilst Alton occupied 11th position this was going to be another tuff test for the Alton team after the disappointing Bank Holiday game. The formation of the team changed to keep things tight at the back and to use the two wide boys of Preston and Ferris.

For the first 5 minutes of the game Bemerton came at Alton and put us under lots of pressure whilst we tried to adapt to the new formation, then something clicked and Alton started to use the wide boys to run at the Bemerton defence, Preston, Ferris and Corbett got in behind the defence a couple of times and put good crosses over but Alton failed to get on the end of them.

However with 25 minutes gone some neat football between, Ferris, Corbett and Rayner put a nice ball over the top of the Bemerton defence to find Pa who chested the ball down and took one touch pass the oncoming keeper and slotted the ball home to Put Alton 1 – 0 up.

After that Alton took full control of the game and opened up Bemerton but squandered opportunities to put Alton further ahead, then on 40 Minutes a corner for Bemerton wasn’t firstly dealt with from the stand in goal keeper for Alton, Theakston, who dropped the ball at the feet of Alton and Bemerton Heath players which pin balled around and then fell at the feet of the unmarked Bemerton player to tap home the equalizer to send the teams in at Half time 1 – 1.

In the second half Alton again utilized the wide players and again opened up the Bemerton defence, Preston went one on one with the keeper only to see his shot saved. Then Corbett had several chance of one on one with the keeper but again either the keeper saved or the shot went wide, Alton had 70 percent of the play but lacking the conviction of scoring their chances, PA who had a traffic game powered his way through the defence again to see his shot saved.

By this time Alton should have been 5 – 1 up and 3 points in the bag. Then the changing moment of the game with less than 30 Seconds left on the watch a rare attack from Bemerton saw a cross come over, a header from the Bemerton Striker which looped in the air as most players turned around to move up field, Alton Keeper made a blooper which when catching the ball it somehow dropped in between his arms and fell to the Bemerton Striker who hadn't retreated yet who tap the winner for Bemerton.

A cruel end to a game of football, which Alton again played and stood out as the better team.

Gegeoghan and Hibbert gave a solid performance at the back, whilst Rayner got through a lot of work in midfield and Preston, Ferris and Corbett played their part in the game but the performance of the afternoon must go to Pa for his control, power and goal that he scored in the game. If Alton can convert their chances then they will soon run away with games by 4 or 5 goals.

Steve Lynch
First Team Manager