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Alton 2 - 3 Camberley Town

30 Sep 2026

Match report by Ian Hall

Alton’s inconsistent form this season continued with a 2 3 home defeat to Camberley Town which saw the hosts drop to 15th whilst the visitors overtook them and climbed into the top half.

A win for Alton would have seen them move up into 9th but having taken an early lead through Ed Dryden's neat finish on 8 minutes, a really poor defensive team effort, in an end to end first period, saw Alton concede three soft goals to leave them facing an uphill task after the break.

Hadif Darwysh’s composed finish on 53 minutes prompted a one-way second half onslaught but despite creating a host of good chances, they just couldn’t find the net again. Camberley never had a sniff after half time but they had won the physical battle earlier and earned the right to hang on to what they had.

After the ref ignored the visitors’ claims for a handball penalty, Alton took the lead from Sav Shah’s corner, which the keeper could only flap to Ed Dryden. His back post header was cleared off the line but with the defence racing out, the ball was worked back to Dryden who, left one on one, drew the keeper and cooly dinked it past him.

The lead was not to last long. Camberley’s right winger, outside the box and going nowhere laterally, was hacked down. The free kick from the edge of the D didn’t have to be particularly well struck to sail through the parting wall and in, a good meter from the post.

Alton attacked again and Hadif Darwyish’s driving run saw him shoot fractionally over the junction of post and bar before Camberley’s Aaron Redford took the ball on his chest, back to goal, swivelled and cracked off a shot which Dryden did well to deflect wide. From the set piece, the ball was eventually scrambled away for a second corner and again the ball ended up pinging around in the box before falling back to Redford, who slammed it into the far corner for a 1 2 lead on 14 minutes.

They could then have had a third when Charlie Burns came racing out to a free kick from half-way he was never going to get anywhere near, but redeemed himself with a brilliant reaction save from the resulting header.

In many ways that summed up Alton’s half. They played some really good stuff with Darwish, Shah and Mackenzie Patterson all dangerous going forward but as a side they were far too easy to play against. From one goal kick with Alton well set, Camberley’s keeper passed to their full back who advanced to half-way, passed forward to the winger to drive to the edge of the box and get away a shot, all without an Alton player getting within five yards.

A third on 35 minutes was also gifted – a free kick in towards an offside forward was intercepted by Patterson, running back towards his goal and just as he had done for Alton in the fixture last season, he powered in an unstoppable header. Not for the first time the ref asked the linesman, who had flagged, what to do but this time elected to ignore the advice. Referees have a difficult job, but then so do brain surgeons and that’s why its best left to those with a bit of talent.

After the interval Alton came out firing and got the much-needed early life line when Sav Shahs stinging shot was parried to Darwish and he jinked three times to work himself room in the box and stroked the ball into the corner.

Alton created chances at will, the best when Patterson’s driving run and shot fell to Darwysh in a carbon copy of Dryden’s opener but this time the keeper got something on it to nick it wide. Good hold up play by Felix Hills set up Shah for a vicious shot just over the bar and Dryden came close with a header cleared off the line but despite giving it a good go, ultimately Alton were left to rue the first half gifts.

As an aside, nice to see Cian Simpson who had played the night before for the U18s, on the bench – the club’s extensive youth set up continues to develop some good prospects.

Burns, Phillips (C), McLean, Garlinge, Dryden. Pound, Patterson, Hill, Shah, Hill, Darwish Subs Lever, Ledbury, Branker, Mather, Simpson.

Nxt up, this Saturday, Sutton Common Rovers will be the visitors to the Exclusive Networks Stadium. 3pm kick off.