SOUTHAMPTON'S London Division Four South-West survival hopes are alive, if not necessarily kicking, as they closed in on fourth-bottom Petersfield by beating them 10-7 in a cracker.

A try in the final ten minutes of a crucial match the city side had to win to maintain any realistic chance of holding on to their league status, cut arrears to just two points in the table - although they stay second bottom.

Visiting Petersfield opened the scoring with a well-worked move resulting in a converted try early in the first half but, unlike in previous matches this season, Saints refused to take their cue to falter.

They firmed up their defence, which held all that Petersfield could throw at them throughout the first period, and got themselves on the board just before the interval.

Skipper Marcus Coffin, instead of taking the three points on offer, set up a well rehearsed penalty move and charged over for his first points of the season - his debut score since taking over the Test Park reigns.

His predecessor, Tony Cador, failed in the conversation attempt as well as with three penalty shots through the second half but the belief was pouring from the red and whites and they were not to be outdone.

A clever chip ahead from veteran winger Alex Scott bounced up nicely for the supporting Julian Robins, who scooted in under the posts to give Saints a late lead, although Cador's conversation attempt hit the upright.

Southampton suffered a late scare when Petersfield captain Derek Eldridge broke free in midfield but Robins was on hand to bundle him into touch after the county full-back had crossed the try line. That moment of brilliance lifted spirits in the home camp.

Coffin is now looking to his side for repeat performances in their final four games - three of them away from home - and turn their season around to keep hold of their place in London Four.

"Considering the problems we had in selection this week, with four players pulling out and only having one replacement, meaning I had to beg, steal and borrow players to get a team out, I cannot fault anyone," he said.

"We have leaked tries throughout this season, so to only concede one against a side that thrashed us by 50 points earlier in the season, was superb. We really wanted this win and we deserved it."

Dreams of reaching the Three South-West play-offs for both Tottonians and Winchester are now a distance memory as they cancelled each other out to tie their local derby 10-10 on a blustery Water Lane afternoon.

Both sides considered they had the better of the match with Winchester moving into a ten-point interval lead through skipper Richard Knight and scrum-half Scott Turner tries but Totts waited until the final ten minutes to claim a point.

Paul Goodall's 71st-minute penalty set up the grandstand finish which Paul Brading capped when he barged his way to the line, shunning off three tackles to grab the try and Goodall's conversion was the final kick of the game.

Goodall said: "We were much the better side on the day and deserved the point."

Visiting Winchester believed they had enough territory and possession in the first half to kill the game off before the interval.

Alton's hopes of beating the slide to London Four are hanging by a thread after they were crushed 48-19 by Weybridge Vandals. With London Irish Amateur winning, it leaves them two points off the pace.