ASSISTANT boss Ben Strevens wants Eastleigh to be a force to be reckoned with on home soil again.

The Spitfires opened 2018 with a 4-2 win over relegation-haunted Guiseley thanks to goals from Cav Miley, Chris Zebroski, Mark Yeates and Callum Howe.

But such occasions have been rare down Stoneham Lane this season with Eastleigh winning just four league games in front of their own fans.

It’s a far cry from Strevens’s playing hey-day when the Silverlake was a fortress.

“We always had a real good home record here,” he recalled.

“When we got promoted (2013/14) and got to the play-offs the year after, a lot of that was built on our home form.

“We want to start playing well here for the fans, get more victories, and we want the boys to enjoy themselves.

“You saw that today and we see it every day on the training ground and sometimes it frustrates us (when it’s not translated into games).

“We’ve got some real good technical players who can get on the ball and do stuff for us. Now it’s trying to get a few more results and get up the table as quick as we can.”

Yesterday was a step in the right direction with victory hoisting Eastleigh three places to 15th.

But for all their attacking verve, they still looked defensively vulnerable at times against second-to-bottom Guiseley.

Miley’s header put them in front after just 80 seconds, yet their dominance soon evaporated - Andrew Boyce bailing them out with a goalline clearance before Rowan Liburd levelled.

And had it not been for the heroics of Ross Flitney – in for injured ’keeper Graham Stack – the Spitfires could have fallen into arrears before in-form frontman Chris Zebroski rifled them into a 2-1 interval lead.

It was a slender advantage, but it looked as if fans would be spared the usual edge-of-the-seat nerves when Eastleigh doubled their tally inside 20 second-half minutes.

Mark Yeates was instrumental, first finishing confidently after Lions defender Ashley Palmer had slipped trying to cut out Flitney’s long ball. The Irishman then troubled ‘keeper Jonny Maxted with a well-struck free-kick and skipper Callum Howe blasted in the rebound.

Job done, you would have thought. But nothing is ever clear-cut with Eastleigh these days.

Spitfires teammate Sam Wood needlessly fouled sub James Roberts at the expense of a penalty that Roberts himself converted for 4-2.

Another Flitney save from Mike Fondop’s header stopped the Guiseley fightback in its tracks before Maxted denied sub James Constable at the other end.

Eastleigh certainly know how to entertain – particularly when man-of-the-match Sam Matthews has the ball at his gifted feet - but failure to shut up shop could scupper all hope of a play-off push.

“We’ve got no real issues scoring goals, it’s trying to help the defence,” summed up Strevens.

Matthews’ initial loan period from AFC Bournemouth is now over, but Strevens said: “We’re all hoping he’ll stay and I think he wants to. As long as it’s right for all parties, I’m pretty positive there’ll be some good news about that.”

Eastleigh: Ross Flitney, Gavin Hoyte, Sam Wood, Danny Hollands, Andrew Boyce (Ayo Obileye, 32), Callum Howe, Bradley Hudson-Odoi (James Constable, 70), Cav Miley, Chris Zebroski, Mark Yeates, Sam Matthews (Sam Togwell, 84). Subs (not used): Craig McAllister, Frazer Shaw.

Referee: Adam Penwell.

Attendance: 2,001.