MCCALLUM FINDS FEET AT LAST IN A THRILLER

PAUL McCallum walked off with the match ball after scoring his first three goals for Eastleigh in a remarkable eightgoal thriller at the Silverlake Stadium.

The former Leyton Orient striker had failed to score in his first nine National League games for the lowly Spitfires in a season disrupted by injury.

But he showed his predatory instincts by netting twice as Eastleigh stormed into a 2-0 lead within the opening 19 minutes – and then completed his hat-trick with a second half leveller after Bromley had staged an impressive comeback to lead 3-2.

In a breathtaking finale, visiting striker Louis Dennis scored his second goal of the afternoon to restore Bromley’s lead with just four minutes to go.

But 60 seconds later Eastleigh substitute Sam Matthews rescued a point with a stunning 20yard shot into the bottom corner.

It left Bromley boss Neil Smith with mixed emotions. “We scored four great goals and let in three sloppy ones – their final goal was a good one,” he said.

“We will always create chances and score goals, so on the one hand I’m delighted to score four goals. But on the other, if you score four away you’ve got to be winning.

“You can’t give a side like Eastleigh four goals – so I’m disappointed we didn’t win the game.” McCallum latched onto a Chris Zebroski flick to calmly sidefoot Eastleigh into a tenth minute lead, and nine minutes later was unmarked at the back post to half volley to double the lead. Bromley got a foothold back in the game when Josh Rees headed a Roger Johnson cross back across keeper Graham Stack before sub Brett Williams levelled things up with a fine effort at Stack’s near post. It was the third time in recent weeks that Eastleigh had given away a two goal lead and it got even worse for the hosts three minutes into the second half when Dennis curled a great left foot shot into the top corner. Eastleigh, however, weren’t done yet and fought back and McCallum completed his hat-trick with a close range header off the underside of the crossbar. It looked as if Bromley had won it late on when Dennis again fired a low shot past Stack and into the bottom corner butMatthews had the final say by lashing a first time shot from the ‘D’ past Gregory’s despairing dive. “It was one of those crazy, crazy games you get just a few times every season,” said Hill, whose side are now without a win in seven. “Hopefully the fans enjoyed the excitement.”