Top Hatters surge further clear
SECOND-HALF goals by Myles Hippolyte and skipper Liam Hogan eased runaway leaders Stockport County to a comfortable victory over Eastleigh at the Silverlake Stadium.
The eighth successive win has stretched County’s lead over Wrexham at the top of the National League to 11 points with nine matches left to play.
It was County’s 20th win from the last 21 matches in all competitions with goalkeeper Ben Hinchliffe celebrating the 100th clean sheet of his career.
It wasn’t pretty – the game was scrappy, punctuated with stoppages and largely lacked rhythm in the first half – but once Stockport got their noses in front four minutes after the break, there was only one likely outcome.
Eastleigh haven’t managed to score in their last two home matches and, as in the 1-0 defeat by Dagenham & Redbridge in midweek, didn’t manage a single shot in target.
In fact, Eastleigh have fired 11 blanks in their last 15 National League games – the simple reason why they have sunk to fifth from bottom of the table.
Ironically, although Spitfires goalkeeper Joe McDonnell made two smart saves early on, County should have gone behind midway through the opening period.
Eastleigh’s Dan Smith squandered a great opportunity, skewed his shot wide of the mark after strike partner Danny Whitehall had set up the chance.
Following a rather lacklustre first half, the second immediately showed signs of more promise when, straight from kick-off, Eastleigh’s Ronan Silva unleashed a shot that curled past the right post.
But the next opportunity, four minutes later, was to prove more telling with Hippolyte volleying home into the bottom-left corner from just inside the area for his first National League goal in a County shirt, sending the 728 travelling County fans into raptures.
The hugely influential Antoni Sarcevic went close to doubling the advantage by teeing himself up to half-volley against the bar.
And after Whitehall had turned an effort beyond the near post, following Sam
Smart’s cross from the right, Scott Quigley twice tried his luck at the home end with a header that cleared the bar, and a shot on the turn into the right side-netting.
With seven minutes remaining, Hogan gave Stockport a little more comfort going as he connected with a Sarcevic corner from the right to head in the killer second.
Eastleigh manager Lee Bradbury reflected: “The lads worked hard and were in the game at half-time. But Stockport County are a quality side with so much depth and once they got ahead, it was very difficult.”