ALTON 0, EASTLEIGH 9

ALTON FC, under new manager Mark Corbett, gave National League club Eastleigh a warm welcome at The Enclosure last Friday, with an attractive friendly fixture attracting an attendance of 225 to a very damp 3G pitch.

With six divisions separating the sides, the difference in class was always apparent, but for 30 minutes Alton held their own and kept the score down to one – a bullet header by Paul McCallum from a corner.

McCallum went on to score all four goals in the first half, the last three in the final ten minutes before the interval, giving Eastleigh a comfortable cushion.

The Brewers rallied at the start of the second half and Mark Taylor’s header from a corner came back off the post.

Craig McAllister extended Eastleigh’s lead and Alton were again unlucky not to pull one back when Taylor Watts got away from the defence and although his shot beat the onrushing keeper, a defender scrambled back to clear his lines.

The visitors signed off with a flurry of goals from Ross Stearn, Ayo Obileye, James Constable and Mike Green, leaving Alton to take comfort from the fact they will be meeting much less formidable opposition in the Sydenhams League (Wessex) Division One this season.

Eastleigh played their entire first-team squad, many of whom have played in the Football League, and were very complimentary of the facilities at Anstey Park.

• Alton begin their league programme on Saturday, August 5 with a match at Andover New Street.

• It’s an early start for Petersfield Town, back in the Sydenham League Premier Division after last season’s relegation. The Rams host Baffins Milton in their opening fixture on Tuesday, August 1.