EASTLEIGH boss Kelvin Davis felt his side could have won at Dagenham & Redbridge despite requiring a 93rd-minute equaliser to draw 2-2.

Paul McCallum’s header in the third minute of added time helped 10-man Eastleigh claim a point against former manager Ben Strevens.

The visitors went ahead in the 10th minute when Niall Maher controlled Jake Taylor’s free-kick and thumped the ball beyond Elliot Justham from the edge of the area.

Eastleigh’s lead lasted just nine minutes as Josh Umerah reacted quickest to stab home from Ryan Hill’s corner.

Five minutes before the break, Junior Morias put the Daggers ahead with a thunderous strike from distance that flew into the top corner.

Dagenham looked set for all three points, which would have seen them leapfrog Eastleigh and up into seventh, but deep into stoppage time Jake Vokins’ cross was headed home by McCallum.

Richard Brindley was sent off for a second yellow card moments later after Umerah was held back attempting to launch a break but Eastleigh held on.

Speaking to Eastleigh's media team, Davis said: “It was an entertaining game. From our point of view, the positive play from the first kick to the last is what we are pleased with.

“We spoke loads about it after Saturday - we didn’t talk about getting a reaction, we wanted to get back to our level.

“That’s what we did tonight. We were a good team with great energy who were very much on the front foot.

“We came up against a tough Dagenham side - their second goal was great to see, it’s just unfortunate that it was against us.

“The lads made that in-game decision not to give up. That’s what we have been asking for, to keep playing with focus and energy.

“The lads who came into (the starting lineup) were brilliant and the lads who came on from an impact point of view got us back in the game.”

He continued: “When you analyse the game on the whole, the moments we had in their box, it’s a game we could have and should have won.

“I don’t like to use the phrase ‘two points dropped’ but we would have liked to go away with three points today.

“We had enough chances, we hit the post and had a few changes from Quigley. All in all, we are really pleased.”

Maher opened his Eastleigh account in the first half when he powered a volley through the hands of Dagenham keeper Justham.

“He hit it well," Davis reflected. "Sometimes you have got to take your hat off. We could have done better in the buildup and it ends up at his feet.

“What I liked is, when you see goals like that go in, their heads don’t go down, they stuck to the game plan and we turned the game on its head.”

Cherries youngster Noa Boutin got his first start for the Spitfires on Tuesday evening but the equaliser came from his replacement.

Vokins picked out McCallum, who has now scored seven goals this season,  with a first-time cross from the left.

“Noa did really well for us tonight. He’s a committed lad with the energy to run forward," Davis explained.

“We wanted to force ourselves to be positive and play in their half more. He blew up. Maybe we could have brought him off a bit earlier.

“The important part was that we had a bit of quality on the ball in that moment. Jake can give us that.

“It was a lovely ball into the box. He’s been fantastic for us. He’s come from a great academy at Southampton.

“When you’ve got Macca in the box, you want someone who can deliver the ball into the box and Jake is capable of doing that.”