Alton 39- Ealing Trailfinders 38 or Alton 34- ealing Trailfinders 38

With Trojans deciding they wouldn't play us this weekend, a last minute opposition was required. Ealing Trailfinders Academy U18 were looking for a game. They too had been let down, which apparently happens a lot, with opposition not wanting to play them.
Like most academy side Ealing were, let's not exaggerate, HUGE.
Alton clearly were faced with a big challenge, playing a club that top the championship at first team level and are the bookie's favourite to gain promotion to the premiership this season. Their U18 sq1uad being hand picked as potential stars of the future and players that may make the heady heights of the premiership.

What transpired was a game that saw Alton give everything for the badge, and a results that should/could have been an Alton 39-38 victory. (Photo Evidence Attached).

Alton, for the first 20 minutes came to terms with the size and aggression that Ealing brought. Ealing scoring two quick tries, looked as though they would run riot. Alton had different ides and steppe d up giving the Academy side a shock.

The Final score flattered Ealing, firstly , make your own decision from the attached photo, Alton should have been awarded the win, but more importantly the creative , ambitious, and visually appealing way ALton took the game to Ealing was something that demonstrated how good the Alton squad really are.

It's difficult to pick out any individual players from what was an outstanding squad performance, with Rufus Dent cutting some great lines and displaying what real pace is, or George Lucas, scoring the winning try (sorry , nearly scoring the winning try), the front row of Charlie, Alex, Ollie, Felix, Rudy holding off the man mountains that faced them, to George N and Alex L who again put their bodies on the line to execute turnovers again and again.

As coaches we could not be prouder of the Alton squad who, for 70 minutes gave everything for the Alton badge, and deserved just that final decision and a win , on a day when they stepped up to a new level.