Home comfort at last as Hessenthaler's Eastleigh see off Guiseley 4-2

EASTLEIGH made it eight points gained from a possible 12 under new manager Andy Hessenthaler with a pulsating 4-2 win over lowly Guiseley this afternoon.

Goals by Cav Miley, Chris Zebroski, Mark Yeates and Callum Howe secured the Spitfires' first home league win in eight games, lifting them to 15th in the Vanarama National League.

With ’keeper Graham Stack and targetman Paul McCallum ruled out by groin trouble, Ross Flitney started in goal while  on-loan Sutton winger/forward Bradley Hudson-Odoi was restored to the starting line-up.

Hopes of top scorer Ben Williamson returning to the matchday squad after injury did not materialise, but the Spitfires didn’t let that hold them back as they seized the lead with just 80 seconds gone.

Having forced a first-minute corner, Eastleigh maintained the pressure with the ball eventually coming back out to Mark Yeates wide right.

He cut inside and delivered a wicked ball into a packed six-yard box where up-and-coming Jersey youngster Cav Miley rose highest to head home.

For ten minutes it was blanket Spitfires domination but, inexplicably, they took their foot off the gas and, not for the first time this season, gave lowly opposition belief they could get back into the game.

Eastleigh had a let-off initially when Mike Fondop’s header was cleared off the line by Andrew Boyce with Flitney beaten, but Guiseley kept coming and levelled on 19 minutes when, with the Eastleigh defence in disarray, Rowan Liburd smashed home Fondop’s delivery from the right.

Bang went Eastleigh’s hopes of keeping their first clean sheet since the 0-0 stalemate at Guiseley in September.

Suddenly the game was wide open with the West Yorkshire visitors scrambling the ball clear after keeper Jonathan Maxted had lost his grip on Yeates’ low cross and then Flitney twice riding to Eastleigh’s rescue with two positive pieces of goalkeeping to deny Fondop and then Liburd.

The Spitfires were forced into their first substitution just after the half-hour when Ayo Obileye replaced injured centre-back Boyce.

Five minutes later the home side were back in front thanks to man-of-the-moment Zebroski.

Left-back Sam Wood delivered a free-kick from deep which cleared everyone en route to the back stick where Eastleigh’s powerful No11 was waiting to rifle the ball home for a second successive Saturday.

The Spitfires kept probing with Hudson-Odoi’s shot cleared as far as Miley whose follow-up was straight at Maxted.

On the brink of the half-time whistle, Callum McFadzean found himself in a good position for Guiseley but fired wildly over, keeping Eastleigh’s slender lead intact.

Half-time: Eastleigh 2 Guiseley 1.

There was much defending for Eastleigh to do at the start of the second half but, aside from Alex-Ray Harvey’s volley straight at Flitney, the Lions posed little threat.

But when the Spitfires finally got on the front foot again, the effect was devastating as they surged 4-1 up with 65 minutes gone.

Their third arrived on the hour mark when Guiseley defender Ashley Palmer fatally slipped as he tried to cut out Flitney’s long ball forward, allowing Yeates a clear run through. The Irishman took his goal beautifully, calmly slotting it past Maxted.

With a glide in their stride, Eastleigh fancied themselves for another and it duly arrived five minutes later after the livewire Matthews had been sent tumbling just outside the box.

Yeates curled in a low free kick which Maxted weakly palmed away and there was defender Callum Howe to slam in number four.

It should have been plain sailing from there on in but, typical Eastleigh, they needlessly put themselves under pressure when Sam Wood gave away a 79th-minute penalty for a soft foul on sub James Roberts who powered it home for 4-2.

It could have got worse but for more smart goalkeeping from Flitney, clawing away Fondop’s header.

Seconds later it was the turn of Flitney’s opposite number Maxted to excel, denying sub James Constable on the half-volley from another top-drawer cross by Yeates.

Yeates so nearly crowned victory with an excellent goal in stoppage time but, having weaved his way across the area, he shot wide of the far post.

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.