Spitfires get ready for take-off!
EVEN in their play-off campaign two seasons ago, Eastleigh didn’t reach the dizzy heights of the top four, but at the halfway stage they look well-placed for another run at promotion.
The Spitfires are now flying in uncharted territory with a narrow victory over Stockport County, who were unfortunate not to come away with a point, sending them seven games unbeaten.
The visitors, now with only two wins in six under new boss Simon Rusk and having scored just once in their last five, had midfielder Harvey Gilmour sent off after 33 minutes for a lunging tackle on Jack Payne at a time when they were on top.
Then, centre-back Ash Palmer conceded a penalty by inexplicably handling the ball at a corner which was confidently put away by Joe Tomlinson.
Stockport, though, stayed in the game right to the last kick which saw John Rooney strike the crossbar.
“I thought the players gave it everything in the second half,” said Rusk. “I have to be pleased with that.
“We’re really disappointed with the red card, it’s a committed moment in the game from a player who’s just trying to win the ball not recklessly at all. It’s had a major impact on the game.
“Ash has had a rush of blood to the head. These are the things you’ve got to roll with, we need to take it on the chin.”
Meanwhile, Eastleigh have come from nowhere and made themselves impossible to ignore in the promotion race.
Ben Strevens’s side hold a nice blend of youth and experience although the boss doesn’t want to make any predictions on where they might end up.
“Seven games ago we probably weren’t in a great spot and people were saying we’re going to finish nowhere so we’re certainly not getting carried away,” he said. “It would be amazing if we could be there or thereabouts this season. We did it a couple of years ago, can we do it again?”
Strevens admitted he wasn’t sure whether Gilmour’s red card was deserved which came in a frantic six-minute spell.
Only Rooney’s header had troubled the Eastleigh goal until his corner into Palmer was palmed away well by Joe McDonnell.
Within sixty seconds, the hosts had their best chance, as Ben House chipped wide when through on goal before Stockport’s Alex Reid headed off-target.
The flurry came to an end when Gilmour went to ground in a tackle with Payne on the half-way line and referee Tom Bishop quickly brandished a red card. Stockport played well with ten-men yet Palmer’s moment of madness, capitalised upon by Tomlinson, set Eastleigh up perfectly in the second half, although they couldn’t find a crucial second goal with Sam Smart forcing Ben Hinchliffe to save twice.
Deep into injury time, Rooney’s strike from inside the area crashed back off Eastleigh crossbar and substitute Cav Miley made a superb block to deny Reid from turning in the rebound.
Joe McDonnell (Eastleigh) ★★★★★ Tom Bishop