ANDY Hessenthaler admitted Eastleigh’s injury crisis was driving him mad after watching his wafer-thin squad crumble 4-0 at high-riding National League newcomers Harrogate Town yesterday.

After a promising start on the Wetherby Road 3G, the Spitfires fell behind against the run of play and the scorer, Jack Muldoon, doubled Harrogate’s advantage seconds after the restart.

At that point, injuries began to take their toll as sub Joey Jones, on for hamstring victim Andrew Boyce, lasted all of eight minutes before rolling his ankle again.

By that time Danny Hollands had made way for 19-year-old Ollie Dennett who was soon joined by another rookie striker, Tom Bearwish.

In an ideal world, Reda Johnson would have retired at half-time with an ankle problem, but the big centre-back soldiered on, as did striker Paul McCallum, who was struggling with a calf problem.

Eastleigh coped as best they could but, when sub Mark Beck made it 3-0 in the 80th minute, Hessenthaler decided enough was enough and took McCallum off to spare him further damage.

Beck showed the Spitfires' ten men no mercy, rubbing salt in the wounds with with a late header.

Several Eastleigh players had come through fitness tests en route to North Yorkshire but, with the best will in the world, they shouldn’t really have been playing.

“I think there wasn’t enough honesty with the players in terms of whether they were fit or not,” said boss Hessenthaler.

"I commend them for wanting to play but, in the end, it’s hindered us.

“First half we were the better team without having that final bit of quality, but then we’ve given away a sloppy goal.

"I want us to play football, but at times we have to be careful where we play," he cautioned. 

"We started the second half poorly and then the injuries came...

“We took McCallum off at 3-0 because we didn’t want him to do any more damage to his calf, but he’s probably out of Tuesday’s game (away to Maidenhead United)."

The defeat - Eastleigh's biggest for nearly two years - leaves them 17th in the table with nine points from their opening eight games.

Harrogate are second, a point shy of leaders Wrexham.