AND THEY’RE OFF!
Your pre-season starts here...
EASTLEIGH lifted the curtain on their preseason friendly programme with an encouraging victory against Championship visitors Reading yesterday.
One of the earliest friendlies in the major NonLeague summer calendar was played out in ferocious heat in front of 738 supporters at the Silverlake Stadium and was decided by a late winner from one of the 22 substitutes, Ben Williamson.
Spitfires boss Andy Hessenthaler started with three of his four new signings, and handed chances to four other potential arrivals.
Former Southampton academy product Oscar Gobern began in a central midfield role, with former Maidstone pair Alex Wynter and Josh Hare at centrehalf and right-back respectively.
Ex-York midfielder Cameron Murray and attacking midfielder Richard Gilot, a Frenchman who appeared for Bognor Regis in the half of 2017-18, were handed a trial opportunity to impress from the off. Hessenthaler’s fourth signing, ex-Woking midfielder Joey Jones, was among the second half substitutes. Eastleigh took an 11th minute lead when Mark Yeates threaded a lovely through ball into the path of Paul McCallum, who fired a low shot past the advancing Anssi Jaakkola. After that, Reading carved out the better chances with Mo Barrow firing a shot against the foot of the post their best opportunity. Eastleigh made nine half-time changes – only Hare and Wynter staying on – while Reading changed their entire side for a less experienced one in terms of first team regulars. The hosts brought on two more trialists – central defender Bayley Brown, once of Maidenhead, Northwood, Staines and Tottenham’s academy, and ex-England U19 international and Chelsea academy leftback Aziz Deem-Conteh, who was at Dover last season.
Reading dominated second period possession and grabbed a deserved equaliser on 72 minutes when former Aston Villa player Leandro Bacuna fired home, his shot going in off a post.
But Eastleigh won it three minutes from time when Vito Mannone was unable to hold onto Brown’s close range header and Williamson tapped in from a matter of inches.
Hessenthaler said: “It raised a few eyebrows when people saw we were playing a friendly this early, but I’m hoping it will benefit us fitsecond ness-wise. We knew they would have a lot of the ball and we would have to do a lot of running, which we did.”
Of the four trialists, Hessenthaler added: “They have all been us with since Tuesday and I’ll give them all another week. They could be involved at Gosport next Friday and after that I’ll make a decision – it’s not fair on them otherwise.”
Having already made four permanent signings, the manager admitted there is scope for possibly one more new addition.
“I know things have changed here with the chairman (Stewart Donald) going to Sunderland,” he added. “To be fair, the directors have done what they can. To start with, we were only going to make three signings but we managed to get Joe Jones in as a fourth.
“With the budget I’ve been given, most of that was taken up with the existing players we had.”
Meanwhile, Woking started life under new manager Alan Dowson with a 3-0 win over local Step 4 neighbours Fleet Town at Calthorpe Park.
Jack Cook and Reggie Young were among the scorers for the Cards, who ran the rule over a number of trialists.
Their National League South rivals Wealdstone kicked off their campaign with an entertaining 3-3 draw with Isthmian League South Central new boys Bracknell Town at Larges Lane.
Twice the Stones led, through Bradley Bubb and Jeffrey Monakana, but twice the Robins hit back before the home side eventually edged into a 3-2 lead with 14 minutes to go.
Former Preston midfielder Monakana, however, earned the Stones a share of the spoils with his second four minutes from time.
The Sam Ricketts era kicked off at Wrexham with a victory as the Dragons ran out 2-1 winners over Lex XI at Stansty Park on Friday night.
In a game reduced to two 30minute halves, the Dragons sealed a narrow triumph thanks to strikes from Chris Holroyd and Michael Elstone either side of a reply from Matty Williams.