SPITFIRES EARN ANOTHER SHOT
Strevens aims for more Gresty glory
EASTLEIGH boss Ben Strevens will return to the scene of his big FA Cup glory moment at Gresty Road after seeing his side deservedly force a replay against League Two high-fliers Crewe Alexandra.
Marcus Barnes’ late equaliser ensured the Spitfires will be in the hat for the third round draw tomorrow night, cancelling out a first-half own-goal from home goalkeeper Max Stryjek.
Strevens scored the winning goal when the two sides last met in the 2015 first round and will now hope to mastermind another shock albeit from the dugout.
“We’ve recovered 15 points from being behind this season and we’ve just done it again in the cup,” he said.
“I don’t want to keep going behind and having to show how good our mental toughthing,” ness is and how the boys can react to things but it’s a good trait to have.
“First half they played some real good football and caused us all sort of problems. Second half we implemented what I wanted the boys to do.
“As good as Crewe were in the first half I felt we gave the ball out a bit too much for my liking.
“Second half we were much better on the ball and good without it as well.”
The lively Owen Dale forced the first save from Stryjek, who parried his low, stinging effort behind. Dale should have then scored moments later but managed to head wide from all of three yards.
Having survived the early Crewe onslaught, Eastleigh found some joy on the flanks and captain Danny Hollands couldn’t steer his diving header into the corner from Sam Smart’s cross.
Another ball into the Crewe box was headed over by Tyrone Barnett before Spitfires centre-back Andrew Boyce couldn’t get enough contact on his effort.
After Dale’s shot had whistled behind for a corner via a deflection, the winger challenged Stryjek in the air from the delivery, which was punched into his own goal by the goalkeeper.
Kirk continued to cause problems down the left and his pullback from the by-line should have been tucked away by Porter, who skied over from the 12 yards.
But Crewe weren’t allowed to have it all their own way in the second half as Eastleigh played higher up the pitch and with more intensity.
Hollands’ header dropped inches wide before Jack Payne’s long ranger in the 66th minute had to be gathered at the second attempt by Will Jaaskelainen– son of former Bolton Wanderers stopper Jussi.
Barnett’s header was brilliantly pushed behind as Eastleigh piled the pressure on with Crewe keeper Jaaskelainnen then parrying substitute Michael Green’s shot before tipping over Rob Atkinson’s header.
But Eastleigh finally equalised on 85 minutes when Scott Rendell’s glancing header was touched in on the line by substitute Barnes, sending the Silverlake crowd into raptures.
Daniel Powell almost snatched a winner for Crewe but Stryjek denied him with the help of a post.
“The first thing is we’re still in the hat, that’s the main said Crewe boss David Artell.
“The first half I thought we were the better team, we should have scored more than one. We got into some great opportunities to score goals and for whatever reason that didn’t happen.
“Second half we didn’t pass the ball. When we did we still looked like we were going to score. We still had plenty of chances but let’s not hide the fact Eastleigh could have won the game as well. We need to improve on our second half performance that’s for certain.
“There was lots of little things we didn’t do very well and that cumulative effect adds up to a disjointed performance.”