EASTLEIGH'S substitute goalkeeper Ross Flitney almost grabbed the goal of the season in the dying seconds at Barrow in the National League tonight.

With the Spitfires trailing 3-2 in the eighth minute of stoppage time, Flitney – on for the injured Graham Stack – went up for one last-ditch attack, flung himself at the ball and slammed a header against the crossbar.

It would have capped a sensational fightback by Eastleigh who had fellow sub Ben Williamson to thank for setting up a grandstand finish in the 89th minute.

As it was, the relegation-battling Bluebirds just about held on to register their first Holker Street win since October despite Eastleigh bruising the woodwork no fewer than three times at the death.

Barrow were up for it from the off with Stack called into action in the opening seconds to tip Lewis James’s low strike round the post.

They seized the lead on 14 minutes when Asa Hall powered in a header from a corner, but Eastleigh worked their way back into the game and levelled with a cool Chris Zebroski finish on the hour.

Three minutes later the Bluebirds were back on top when Donovan Makoma followed up on Stack’s initial save from Lewis Walters.

That marked the end of the night for Stack and skipper Ryan Cresswell who both picked up knocks in trying to prevent that goal and were replaced by Michael Green and Flitney.

Barrow went 3-1 up through Walters on 79 minutes after Nathan Waterston had struck the post.

It was all Eastleigh during a frantic finale, but the woodwork saw to it that their three-match unbeaten run was brought to a close.