ALTON 2, EAST COWES VICTORIA 2

ALTON played out only their second draw of the season on Saturday, and coming against East Cowes Victoria, who prop up the Sydenhams League Division One, it was a disappointing result.

The in-form Brewers were on top early on, but failed to take their chances and that came back to haunt them as East Cowes belied their lowly status and grew into the game.

In fact, in the end the Isle of Wight side were well worth their point.

Alton started brightly, with Taylor Watts causing problems out wide, and took the lead with a set-piece goal after only seven minutes, Scott Sanderson heading home from a Sean Hayes corner.

Other chances came and went for the home team, while East Cowes were unlucky not to be awarded a penalty when keeper Kallum Lunn appeared to take out his man.

This seemed to spur the visitors on and the equaliser duly arrived when Joe Craig forced the ball past Lunn.

The game then ebbed and flowed. Regan Hitch hit the East Cowes crossbar and then it was Alton’s turn to be denied a penalty when Sanderson was flattened in the area.

The second half was just two minutes old when the Islanders took a shock lead, just after Sanderson had headed over from a corner at the other end. Lunn could only parry another shot from Craig and Jimmi Burton slotted home the rebound.

East Cowes sensed an unlikely victory and worked hard to get men behind the ball and make it difficult for Alton to create chances. The Brewers had all the pressure, but the final ball was either not quite good enough or a defender threw himself in the way.

A fine cross from Watts was controlled by substitute Ryan Ayling, who set up Hitch, but the shot was saved and it didn’t seem to be Alton’s day.

However, East Cowes could only half-clear the resulting corner and Gavin Muir pounced to score the equaliser.

Ayling saw his shot spilled by the keeper, with no-one on hand to take advantage, while Lunn had to be alert to deny the dangerous Craig.

Alton’s last throw of the dice was to go three at the back and send defender Adam Aimable up front, but East Cowes hung onto their point.

Alton face a testing trip to third-placed Laverstock & Ford this Saturday.