It was not quite typhoon conditions at Penn’s Place but on a miserable, drizzly day, Alton Silverbacks made the short trip to Petersfield and triumphed 25-22 in a gruelling encounter.
Both teams started the game with 100% records, but Alton knew that this would be their toughest test so far this season and they stood up to the task magnificently. Even when the momentum seemed to be swinging away from them, the whole squad stood defensively strong and they ran out deserved winners.
Petersfield have been playing at a higher standard in recent years, this was the first derby in 5 years, so they may not have known what to expect from their local rivals. They soon were to realise however, as Alton started game brightly. Immediately, Oliver Burden joined the line and stormed down the left wing, passing deftly for Cameron Wicks to score in the corner. From far outwide, Joe Gwyther kicked a magnificent conversion and Alton led 7-0.
Field had started sluggishly, and with backs and forwards, combining well, Alton made light work of the difficult conditions early on. Defensively too Alton had the upper hand with Dan Napier making a statement with a hard tackle as Field tried to make some progress upfield. Burden was at this stage a constant threat down the left wing and combined well with Harry Devonshire but they were thwarted by the Field defence just short of the line. A few minutes late, it was Wicks that made the line break after some good passing in midfield, and Burden was there again to extend the Alton lead after 12 minutes. Gwyther converted again. 14-0
Jeremy Powell was replaced by Alex George after a knee injury but the forwards momentum was unchanged. Field struggled to get any field position as Ben Burrage was winning line outs at will, and Nick Stoffel, Karter Whittock and all of the pack punched holes in midfield, giving fast ball to the Alton backs. In contrast, Field’s possession was slow ball and they rarely entered Alton territory. Alton’s forwards nearly forced a maul over the line after 25 minutes, and Field were now warned for giving away another penalty near their own line.
Gwyther missed a drop goal and Field established some confidence and started to enjoy some possession of their own. They pushed into the Alton half, and after Alton conceded a penalty, Field took it quickly and scored after some nice passing after 34 minutes.
After Harry Devonshire was replaced by Dave Shepherd as a precaution, Field were then given a yellow card. This time the offender was not rolling away but presumably the card was awarded for repeated infringements. Gwyther converted the penalty after 37 minutes to extend the lead but Field quickly came back with a penalty of their own as Alton were penalised for not releasing.
Half time and although trailing by 17-8, Field would have not been displeased by the score line given the pattern of the game and the knowledge they were playing with the slope in the 2nd half.
Field started the half roared on from the balcony by the Penn’s Place faithful supporters and it was now Alton’s turn to feel the pressure. You could have been forgiven for believing it was Alton down to 14 men, as Field now gained controlled of territory and possession.
With a fast defensive line, Field were now pressurising the Alton backs into mistakes. Chris Gregory came on to add much needed bulk to the forwards defensive effort as Field piled on the pressure. Whenever Alton kicked upfield, it was returned with interest by the Field backs and inevitably Field reduced the deficit with a score under the posts after a break down the right wing. The game had changed completely, and all of the momentum was with Field. 17-15 to Alton
The crowd poured more pressure on to Alton who looked a little shaken and their slick handling of the first half was now a memory as the rain continued to fall. Field made some errors of their own and failed to hold onto the slippery ball on several occasions, trying to force another try. Alton’s scrum stood tall and never took a step backwards, forcing a couple of penalties as Alton slowly regained their composure.
Burden made his first jinking run of the half, kicked the ball from hand and Field were penalised for a late hit. Inch by inch, Alton moved upfield with neither side giving any ground easily.
With 10 minutes left, Field were now becoming more desperate as they ran the ball from well inside their own half, ultimately leading to them conceding a penalty. The partisan crowd fell silent, and Gwyther kicked the points to the delight of the Alton supporters. 20-15 with only 7 minutes remaining.
As the players inevitably tired, ball handling errors became more prominent with time running out but the cool head of Gwyther calmly kicked to the corner. After 78 minutes, the backs combined well again and Shepherd nearly scored under the posts but the ball was dislodged. The referee ruled that ball was dropped backwards and with the Field defence scrambling to defend their left wing, Gwyther fooled everyone by changing the point of attack to the blindside. Burrage collected the long pass, neatly stepped the defender and passed to the veteran Gregory who was never going to be stopped from 5 metres and scored the decisive try in the corner to a huge roar.
To their credit, Field were determined not to leave without anything for their efforts, and scored a deserved try with the last play of the game to secure a losing bonus point.
However with a 25-22 victory, the spoils went to Alton who now top the table of Hampshire Premier and without doubt know that they can compete at this level. Maybe in previous seasons, Alton would have capitulated to that Field pressure in the opening 20 minutes of the 2nd half. However their balance of youth and experience, coupled with some calm heads and team spirit ultimately gave them a deserved win and bodes well for the season ahead.