TOTTONIANS finished off a fine season with an excellent third place in London Division 4 South-West and they will be keen to improve next term.

Their highest ever placing in the league was clinched as they hammered relegated Farnborough 51-22, while Farnham crashed at Old Emanuel 40-17, allowing Totts to leapfrog the Surrey men and back into the place they have commanded for much of the season.

It was a sound performance from the side that had faltered of late, although spectator skipper Miles Northover admitted the result was tighter than the scoreline suggested.

County lock Ali Ramus, returning to fitness after limping off on Wednesday night, grabbed a hat-trick of tries.

"If I wanted to be critical, we were a bit slack at times," said Northover.

"Having been third for much of the year, I would have been disappointed if we hadn't finished there."

With nothing left to play for, Trojans went through the motions in their game at Cranleigh and went down 22-5 through a very poor performance that was not aided by a referee who had coach Richard Cheal rummaging for his rulebook!

In only 20 minutes of the game did Trojans play anything like their capabilities. However, there were more periods where they were "lethargic and inept," according to Cheal.

Alton have given themselves a massive boost by closing their troubled year with a late-season revival that has pulled them from bottom and cast adrift to third from the foot and with the chance of survival, depending on play-off results elsewhere.

Their 38-7 win over Old Wimbledonians, coupled with heavy losses for fellow relegation rivals Dorking and University Vandals have given them the scope to stay up.

Andover celebrated their championship in some style, in front of a big crowd running a weakened Old Blues ragged 79-5 to cap their immense season.

With a few players retiring and leaving, it was the perfect prelude to the party that followed to toast the London 3 South-West title by a clear seven points from their rivals Cobham and Old Guildfordians.

Havant, with league title pocketed and championship clinched were in festive mood at Haywards Heath, but left with a flea in their ear as the West Sussex side ensured their opponents were not to close the season on a high, winning 36-26.

While it was close throughout, the untidiness of Havant's play allowed Heath a host of gifts that they accepte with delight and it was to prove their downfall, going down by five tries to three.

Basingstoke's opponents in the London One-South West One play-off will be Dings Crusaders from Bristol, as Ian Calder's side triumphed over Thanet Wanderers 39-20, while Dings squeezed past Swanage & Wareham to seal their place.

April 27 is the date at Down Grange to see who joins Havant and Weston-super-Mare in National Three South in 2002-2003.

Three defeats on the bounce is not the most ideal preparation for Gosport & Fareham's visit to Twickenham, especially as their opponents, Halifax trounced Aspatria 71-14.

A desperately poor performance from a side clearly with other matters in mind saw them slide not only to defeat 32-22 at the hands of Maidstone, but also lose their third place in London 2 South, now held by Wimbledon.