Top form! Riviere's winner at Stortford sees Eastleigh top the form chart

 BISHOPS STORTFORD v EASTLEIGH



TUESDAY 8th DECEMBER 2009
Blue Square South

Thanks to a late Anthony Riviere winner in a tight game away to Bishops Stortford, Eastleigh are currently top of the form table for the past six games. An impressive, unbeaten run of four wins and two draws stretching back to the end of October has seen the Spitfires bang in form and closing in on the play off places once again.

Report from Bluesnet

Bishop’s Stortford: Eyre (c), Nunn, M Jones (Essandoh 52), Abdullahi, R Jones, Champion (cautioned 90), Sulaiman (Lathrope 71), Southam (cautioned 73), Smith, Sheringham, Riddle. Unused: Querry, Sargent, Greenwood.

Eastleigh: Jason Matthews, Danny Smith, Brett Poate,  Anthony Riviere, Tom Jordan (c), Aaron Cook, Peter Adeniyi, Andy Forbes, Jamie Brown (cautioned 90), Tony Taggart (Jamie White 87), Shaun McAuley (Richard Gillespie 66). Unused: Trevor Challis, Dan Loader, Matt Day.

Att. 282

Injury-ravaged Blues lost out to a typical Eastleigh smash and grab at Woodside Park last night.

Anthony Riviere's blast from just inside the box, deflected in off Louis Riddle, was all that separated both sides in a tight contest. 

The visitors, big and direct as expected, opened strongly before Blues created their first and one of their best chances. Charlie Sheringham bore down on Eastleigh's keeper but his chipped shot was too high and struck the crossbar when a goal looked a certainty before the ball was headed out for a corner. 

Sheringham headed the corner on to Tom Champion, popping up in the box, but could only guide the ball wide of the goal.

This opening flurry was followed by a long period of attrition. Then, just as the half started with goalmouth action, so the half ended with the same. This time it was Eastleigh who should have taken the lead. First taggart and then Brown headed over before Nicky Eyre pulled off an outstanding point blank save to deny Brown as the half time whistle sounded.

HALF TIME: Bishops Stortford 0-0 Eastleigh

The second half started late as both sets of players were kept waiting by the over-officious men in black to emerge from their half-time bucks fizz. 

Just past the hour, Blues missed a second golden opportunity to take the lead. Glen Southam played a sweet ball for Hassan Sulaiman to run on to. For once, Sulaiman put in a decent cross that found Lewis Smith running in on the left. But Smith's shot was somehow blocked on the line and keeper Jason Matthews prevented the follow-up from crossing the line despite protestations from the optimistic blues' fans behind the goal. 

 

Minutes later, the Spitfires created their own best chance from a quickly-taken free-kick, but Nicky Eyre just managed to scamper across his goal to deny Taggart once more.

Ten minutes later, the game's final action of interest resulted in Riviere's goal as the Blues' defence failed to clear the ball from a long throw.

FULL TIME: Bishops Stortford 0-1 Eastleigh

White Christmas at Eastleigh - Youngster set for further month on loan

Link

Jamie White has extended his loan spell at Eastleigh by a further month.

The 20 year-old Saints Academy graduate has enjoyed a temporary stay at the Silverlake Stadium for the past two months helping the Spitfires to 12th place in the Blue Square South with the team collecting 26 points from 18 games so far this season.

He has been limited mainly to substitute appearances but played the full 90 minutes in a 1-1 draw at Braintree Town last time out.

The extension means that the striker will remain at the non-league side until Monday 7th January 2010 meaning he can play in Tuesday evening's trip to Bishop's Stortford.

Baird and Forbes kiss and make up

By Wendy Gee -

THE rift between Eastleigh manager Ian Baird and star striker Andy Forbes has been healed.

Although the Spitfires boss has not gone as far as to take the 30-year-old off the transfer list, he was ready to start him in Saturday’s postponed Blue Square South match against Weston-super-Mare following clear the air talks with Forbes on Friday.

For all Forbes’ unquestionable talent, Baird, felt the striker was not performing on a consistent enough basis and was not meriting his status as one of the Spitfires’ highest earners.

Baird’s patience finally ran out and he transfer-listed the Reading-based marksman, scorer of an impressive 139 goals in 254 club appearances, the day after Eastleigh’s dismal FA Trophy exit at Lewes.

The decision shocked Eastleigh supporters, many of whom revere Forbes as a Spitfires legend, and there was criticism of the manager for saying he hoped the striker would prove him wrong before dropping him from the squad for the 1-1 draw at Braintree Town the following Saturday.

But Baird’s actions brought a positive response from Forbes, who phoned his manager for peace talks at the end of last week.

“Andy spoke to me on Friday and said he had taken on board what I’d said. He said he wanted to prove me wrong and he wanted to score goals for Eastleigh,” said Baird.

“I told him that as long as he’s prepared to have the right attitude, we can put all this behind us and move on.

“That’s it over and done with as far as I’m concerned. The matter has been put to bed.”

However, asked if that meant Forbes had been taken off the list, Baird said: “I didn’t say that.”

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

New Date - EFC v Weston-Super-Mare

"Subject to League approval, we have re-arranged the home game with Weston-Super-Mare.

Eastleigh v Weston-Super-Mare: Wednesday 16th December (ko 7.45pm)

"This date was chosen in order to avoid clashing with Saints, who are playing on Tuesday 15th December.

"Anybody with cancellation tickets from the postponed game can use their ticket at this game."

Eastleigh v WSM - Postponed

Today's game was called off five minutes before kick off by Dean Treleaven and his officials.

It was eventually decided that down the wings, the ball was not bouncing and feet were sinking too easily.

The general feeling was that the decision could have been made at 1:00pm when the conditions were exactly the same.

Andy Forbes was on the team sheet and was down to start up front; had the game gone ahead.

This is clearly a positive sign after the devastating news of being placed on the transfer list last week by manager Ian Baird.

Details of the re-arranged fixture will follow shortly.