FOUR went in and only one came out - that is the Hampshire clubs' casualty list in the Powergen Intermediate Cup first round.

Just Gosport & Fareham, the 2002 runners-up, came through unscathed and that is only due to their opponents Purley John Fisher withdrawing from their tie due to the time honoured excuse of a lack of front-row.

Hampshire's other three representatives - Winchester, Alton and Portsmouth - were all shot down in battle by sides of similar standing to themselves, while Havant also took their leave in the Powergen Senior Cup at Old Patesians.

A weakened Winchester, missing a number of key players led at the break away at Maidstone but could not hold on that advantage as, once again, their fitness told against the progressive Kent outfit.

Minus Dan Kinsey, Dan Waddington and veteran Martin Livesey, the visitors kept themselves ahead through a Scott Turner try and Andrew Ashwin's conversion and penalty.

A cheeky drop goal from prop Derri O'Donoghue from the 22 metre line, which had just enough steam to get over the bar ensured Winchester to a one point advantage into the break but as the game wore on, the players tired.

Coach Barry Bridgman, admitting in the circumstances his players performed well, felt, "that we must learn to put our chances away."

Alton slipped to a second consecutive defeat to Old Wimbledonians, this time a 36-10 reverse, although a Steve Ambler try gave them hope after the interval.

It was a forelorn one, however, considering the Surrey side had scored three converted tries in the first half in reply to Tony Watson's penalty and they managed two further scores in the second.

A miserable performance saw Havant crash out of the Senior Cup in deepest Gloucestershire, losing 41-30. But the scoreline seriously flattered the Hampshire side, who were much poorer than the tally suggests.

Basic mistakes leaving gaping holes in the defence that the visitors wandered through with ease were criminal and there was little way back from the 34-13 interval deficit, after Cam Avery and Dylan Raubenheimer crossed.

Three more tries after the break against 14 men, with Patesians having a man sent off, gave the visitors hope but director of rugby Adam King summed it up perfectly when he said: "We made far too many basic mistakes.

"Sides in National 3 will eagerly punish, as Old Pats did, particularly in the first half when they walked through us with ease. This as a wake-up call."