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Alton 1 - 3 Raynes Park Vale

22 Oct 22

For nearly an hour this game was really completive and entertaining and no one could be completely sure which way it might go.

Match report by Dave Hawtin

The visitors were in the ascendancy in terms of possession and territory but the home side managed them well with a disciplined, organised and hardworking performance.

In terms of goal scoring chances there was nothing to choose between the two sides, each had a couple of half chances but the best of them all fell to the home side just seconds before the half time whistle.

Alton earned themselves a corner on the right and the delivery was not cleared properly and fell to Scott Sanderson whose shot from 12 yards beat the keeper but was cleared spectacularly off of the line by a sliding defender.

In the second half the visitors had a real purple patch around the hour mark, going close with one effort and then hitting the post. On both occasions the net was expected to ripple.

Eventually their dominance was rewarded. On 63 minutes a delightful break down the right was cleverly dummied by one of the strikers, this flat footed the defence leaving a simple finish for his colleague at the back post.

They extended their lead on 74 minutes, the home side were guilty of standing off of their opponents as they built a move towards goal and eventually that move ended with a rasping shot from the angle that gave Mees in the home goal no chance.

Rather than capitulate the home side fought back and with 10 minutes to go gained a foothold in the game when Bowerman hooked home from close range after a good break down the right.

The visitors retreated into their own half and looked comfortable in soaking up any forward momentum from the home side.

As the game went deep into injury time the final blow came as a spectacular shot from 25 yards flew into the top right hand corner of the home net off of the underside of the crossbar.

An entertaining game played in a good spirit and well managed by the three officials.

Alton make the short trip to Farnham Town on Tuesday night, then return home on Saturday when Camberley Town will be the visitors.