Romsey Town 3 - 0 Alton

Alton returned from Romsey on Saturday with a defeat following a game that was spoiled by the fussing of the match officials.

Forced to make changes due to injury and unavailability, manager Mark Corbett was forced to name himself in the starting line up when Burch pulled up in the warm up.

Alton started brightly and Hayes found Watts who fell foul of the linesman's flag and was given offside. Danny Knee set up Scott Sanderson whose cross was cleared from a corner.

Matt Petts had to be alert to make a fine double save from Ellezi Indi, before Romsey took the lead when Farren managed to turn in a low driven cross. Petts saved again from Turner and then from Hayes's free kick Knee was adjudged to have been offside.

The game turned on the 32nd minute when following a tussle between Liam Flanighan and Turner of Romsey the referee decided a free kick to Alton and yellow cards for both players, unfortunately for Alton the linesman thought he saw something different and after drawing the referees attention Flanighan was sent off.

Alton re-grouped with Clarke dropping into the back four, and finished the half with Corbett just unable to get on the end of Sanderson's cross. Petts was forced to save at the start of the second half as Romsey tried to make the extra man count, Petts saved again before Romsey scored their second when Ashton beat Williams and then scored at the near post.

Corbett shot wide for Alton, before Donaldson put the game out of sight as he waltzed through Alton's defence to give Petts no chance.

With the referee becoming more and more erratic and his decisions more and more baffling, the game became very stop start, with free kicks given and not given and a flurry of cards issued for no apparent reason.

Alton will look to bounce back next week at home v AFC Stoneham on Non League Day.

Team: M.Petts, R.Colbourne, M.Graham, S.Hayes, B.Williams, L.Flanighan, D.Knee, J.Clarke, M.Corbett, S.Sanderson, T.Watts
Subs: G.Callard, J.Hassel [Both used]