It was a day to forget for Aldershot & Farnham Men's 1st team as they fell to a 5-2 defeat against Alton at Eggars School in a game that lacked any real quality.

With the first two choice goalkeepers injured and the third choice having to pull out on the morning of the goal due to illness, it was left for captain Aaron Buchanan to put the goalkeeper kit on for the very first time. He put in a brave effort for his team and performed admirably for a novice. However, coupled with A&F only having a bare eleven players after centre back and RAF man Will Hall had to also withdraw through work commitments, A&F were up against it from the get-go. Against a 16-man match day squad, it proved to decisive as the home side ran away with the game in the last ten minutes as A&F flagged.

A&F were however buoyed by a return to the club by Stu Morhall and he was a threatening menace on the right flank for A&F. Indeed, he provided the cut back assist for Ian Metcalfe to open the scoring, following a neat interchange between the two and some fine work by Alan Coote in midfield.

Metcalfe had a couple more good opportunities after both Phil Rushmere and Max Long found him in space behind the Alton defence, but he failed to convert them. Despite at times struggling to flow smoothly on the slow and sandy pitch, A&F continued to move forward but it was Alton who managed to equalise from a short corner and then score another just before half time. A&F were disappointed to be behind at the break given the balance of play and chances created.

Alton improved greatly in the second half, but A&F equalised at a short corner through Coote. Alton quickly restored their lead and worked well to put the game out of reach with the two late goals.