When a prop forward scores a try, everyone within range gets to know about it.

So imagine the ear-bending that went on at Romsey Rugby Club when tight-head Chris Geyton touched down not once, but twice, in their 23-7 victory over New Milton & District.

Geyton, not renowned for his try-scoring abilities, was on hand to guide his side towards a much required win after their defeat at Farnborough last week, while sending the Foresters to their fourth straight defeat.

Unlike its predecessor a month ago, the game was played as it ought rather than on the edge with the two sides swapping tries in the first half before the burly prop posted a second alongside Paul Hudson's effort. Man-of-the-match Justin Jeffrey scored in the first half.

New Milton, though, came on hard but could not find a way through the excellent defence, and the result ensured the hosts go into the Christmas break in second place, just a point shy, with a game in hand, of Farnborough, comfortable 30-12 winners over Nomads.

Up into third, if only courtesy of Guernsey's two-point deduction for fielding an unregistered player in the scrapped league clash at Romsey, are Millbrook who secured a 17-12 victory over Sandown & Shanklin but not with a classical performance on the park.

It was far from it. Flu-suffering manager Alan Day described the game as "absolutely dire" as the Islanders spoiled and killed the ball all afternoon in an attempt to scupper the flowing home side.

It was only when S&S had a player sin-binned that Millbrook took advantage through Dean Weaver, Dominic Sales and Chris Ings but Day was happy to have collected the points.

"We played atrociously but we are on a bit of a roll at the moment and things tend to go your way when you are," he said.

It was never going to be easy to recreate their victory on the mainland - and so it proved for Fareham Heathens, who were undone on Guernsey 31-10.

But the injuries to Duncan Nixon (knee) and Dave Brown (groin) in the first five minutes certainly did not help their cause.

On a heavy pitch that had been used for a Hampshire Under-14 Junior Cup game between Guernsey and Ellingham & Ringwood earlier in the morning, the Sarnians backs played with all of their experience and interrupted Heathens' game plan.

But skipper Mark Steward was pleased with his side's performance and felt that the scoreline should have been closer, given the ball they had enjoyed. But the trials of travelling early in the morning became more apparent.

"It is never easy to go over there on the day, play and come back, because of the flight times," he said. "We were at the ground two and a half hours before kick-off and wandering around the car boot sale for a while!

"But we are very happy with the way we are playing and our league position."

They are fifth at present - but just five points off the leaders.

At the nether end of the table, Eastleigh have cut the gap on New Milton & District, who have also had two points sliced from their tally for fielding an ineligible player, and sliding Sandown & Shanklin.

Eastleigh scored an indifferent 23-5 success over Hamble when a catalogue of wasted opportunities saw just four tries scored instead of a hatful that could have been against the beleaguered Riversiders, who have seen another two league points dismissed from their tally.

Martin Kirby crossed twice either side of the interval but, with ex-Hamble fly-half Seamus Noonan having a dismal day with the boot, missing everything that was placed in front of him, Eastleigh were pleased enough to win.

"Having monopolised the game we should have scored a lot more points," said clubman John Sneezum.

Hamble's consolation try came from Neil Angell's quickly-taken short penalty.