Isle of Wight 23-19 Alton
This much anticipated clash between two unbeaten teams did not disappoint, with the outcome in the balance right until the final whistle, IW taking the spoils with a dramatic late try and making it five wins from five this season.
Alton, Fawley and IW have established a gap at the top of the table at this early stage of the season, and despite IW’s exceptional home record in recent times, Alton probably went in as favourites after a series of free-scoring wins. They showed their threat straight from the off, putting together a sustained attack and testing the hosts. IW defended well, but could not stop Alton’s impressive no. 8 from grubbering the ball through and winning the race for the touchdown, opening the scoring inside two minutes. Unfortunately, Tom Crews had to depart at this stage due to injury, on his first start for the club.
IW now were able to get their hands on the ball and themselves built a promising attack, before winning a penalty on the 22. Quick-thinking full-back George Huish tapped the penalty and swerved through for a fine opportunist score, which he converted to give his side a 7-5 lead.
With two tries on the board and excellent playing conditions, this looked set to be a very high-scoring tussle, but there would be no further points in the first half. Alton dominated this period which was mostly played in the IW half, but they met with determined home defence which showed admirable resilience. Alton were held up over the line once, while they also had cause to rue handling errors, some unforced and some due to IW tenacity. Alert winger and Biffa IW man of the match Aaron Young also managed two interceptions during this period. The home team were able to lift the siege towards half-time and maintained their two point lead at the break.
Alton now had to play into the low sun and IW began the second half in the ascendancy. They looked likely to score their second try early on but earned a penalty, which Huish kicked to extend the lead. Play was now much more even and the IW scrum began to make some headway, though Dan Ward was shown a yellow card for a high tackle which interrupted momentum. However, another Huish penalty gave IW breathing space while short-handed.
Now trailing by eight, Alton got back on top and applied pressure on the IW line, but were repelled again and again by heroic defence, ending in another visiting player being held up over the line. Unfortunately for IW, their chase of the goal-line dropout was disorganised. Alton’s X-factor scrum-half needed no second invitation to speed through a yawning gap and touch down under the posts. The conversion narrowed the margin to one point.
Entering the last ten minutes, IW had a good spell and this time Alton had a player carded for a high challenge. Another well-struck penalty by Huish made the score 16-12, but then Alton struck to regain the lead with a fine score with five minutes to play.
Intent on extending their long home unbeaten run, IW battled back and showed immense character. They won another penalty in a kickable position, which would have tied the scores with a few minutes still to play, but Huish’s effort drifted wide. Alton were now kicking for position to pin IW back, and it looked as though they would see the game out, but IW had other ideas. Roared on by the home support and well into stoppage time, Ben Sanderson and Harri Jones-Evans made ground before the forwards brought play close to the Alton line, where the mainlanders infringed. With excitement at fever pitch, captain Luke Blackman was stopped just short but again Alton conceded the penalty. Now going for the win, some clever misdirection from the tap penalty allowed SD Tanner Electrical man of the match Blackman to sling the ball to Huish, who touched down under the posts to seal the game and spark jubilation.
Alton are clearly a very good side and have an excellent chance of winning this league, but this was IW’s day and a win largely built on defence and attitude, not to mention another large points haul by the excellent Huish. IW have a free Saturday before hosting Andover II on 14 November, when they will also hold a vice-presidents’ lunch.
IW: Huish, Jones-Evans, Crews, Sanderson, Young, Ward, D Blackman, Newnham, McQueen, Turtle, Collett, J Bishop, Bennett, Lynch, L Blackman ©. Replacements: Marsh, Wynyard-Wright, Thorne.
