OVERTON RFC bounced back from their first defeat of the season with a crushing 106-5 victory over Aldershot and Fleet in Hampshire One.

The massive victory saw the home side run in 18 tries to record their second ton of the season, which is a first for the club.

Aldershot and Fleet started brightly and retained the ball for the first four minutes ending when Ryan Cornell and Mark Megginson combined for a choke tackle, the ball was turned over and strong running from Dan Wright and Tom Gough cleared the way for Captain Tristian Harper to tough down.

From then on it was a familiar scene as the village side produced strong direct running through the back row and the entire back line.

Alex Plows controlled the game from stand-off and Dan Sumpter distributed well from scrum half.

Overton dominated all aspects of play with set pieces working well and rucking well.

Aldershot though refused to give up and competed well in the mauls and scrummaged well, their up-front tackling was letting them down and ability to read the home sides moves which were straight off the training field giving coaches Jonty Spaul, Shaun Thomas and Jonathan Inglis immense satisfaction in that moves were called, executed well and tries scored.

One big highlight for the home side was when club stalwart Gavin Plows, playing his first game for the club after turning 50 years old on Friday, scored a try that bought up 50 points in the game.

This was a typical Plows senior try with a lineout catch by Cornell and a drive with Plows controlling from the rear to touch down.

The first half ended with Overton 55 points up. The second period carried on as the first will all 18 players making their mark with man of the match Tom Gough showing great skills and producing some wonderful running lines.

One highlight in the second half was when Overton gifted Aldershot and Fleet their score, for once the Overton line out call was miss read by the receiver, a lovely off the top ball went straight to Aldershot’s big second row who suddenly found himself seven metres from the line with the ball in hand and no Overton defenders at home.

This bought raucous cheers for the partisan home crowd. Overton finished the game as Andy Middleton ran a wonderful line to carve the visitors defence apart and touch down under the posts.

It is difficult to gauge the sides progress over last week’s performance but good skills were displayed throughout the side and there was much more support play with players playing for each other.

The villagers have a week off next week before travelling to play a resurgent Southampton side who have bounced back from the 104 points conceded in October when these sides last met.

Overton will have to up their game another level for the remaining games as they look to secure promotion.

They are still top the league from Alresford by two points after the league were forced to adjust all points and scores so far, this season when Kingsclere were removed from the league after failing to fulfil four fixtures this season.

Overton scorers against Aldershot were Tom Gough (4), Jonathan Inglis (3), Tristian Harper (3), Ryan Cornell (2) Damien Churchill (2) and there were one scores each for with Sam Clarke, Gavin Plows, Dan Wright and Andy Middleton. Alex Plows added 8 conversions.

Overton seconds also playing at Laverstoke Park against a strong team from US Portsmouth.

With ‘all the right boats in’ the visitors were able to drop five players from their first team, who won a mid-table clash against Teddington in London South West Three.

US Portsmouth arrived with 22 players and they all had game time.

Paul Bond fielded a young side, big Greg Wigmore at 57-years old was rubbing shoulders with eight players under 20.

The youngsters really stepped up and the result was an extremely entertaining game which they won 34-17.

Kiwi Mike scoring twice and youngsters Tom Jolly, Marcus Blunden and Connor Norris each adding tries. Conversions and a penalty were added by Connor Norris.

Overton remain second in Solent Merit One with next week an intriguing visit to neighbours Andover thirds, as Andover first and second teams do not have games it will be interesting to see what Andover put out as their third team, especially after the rhetoric when these two sides met last year.