Boxing Day Win Over Basingstoke
Andy Forbes' 24th minute goal was enough to seal a vital three points for Jason Dodd's Spitfires.
In this first meeting of the double header between the two sides, Basingstoke visiting the Silverlake Stadium on New Year's Day, it made todays win all that more important giving the side a boost over this Christmas period as we look to end the year on a high and start 2007 as we mean to go on, starting in the return match on our territory.
It was our first away win of the season and also sees us out of the bottom three.
26th December 2006 - Basingstoke 0-1 Eastleigh
Report by Ray Murphy
It’s taken half a season to do it, but Eastleigh successfully gained their first away victory of their Nationwide South campaign to give them and their followers a Christmas cheer.
Fielding the same starting eleven that had gained a point at Bishops Stortford on their last away league fixture, Eastleigh edged the three points as the two sides occupying the last two spots in the league table fought out a tense affair. Play swung from end to end but neither goalkeeper were troubled too deeply, Eastleigh’s James Pullen commanding his area when any ball was hoisted into it whether it be by way of a cross or from, the artillery of long throws from the Basingstoke full back Steven Dell who has just joined the club from Slough and making his debut.
The home side almost took the lead on three minutes though, a corner from Matthew Warner was swung into the area where skipper Joe Dolan’s header beat Pullen but Tarkan Mustafa was on his post on the line to clear the ball away. Four minutes later Dolan was again causing a threat with another header from a Justyn McKay cross saved by Pullen.
The game was developing into a midfield struggle. Eastleigh lost one of their combative midfielders in Martin Thomas midway through the first half with a nasty looking hand injury. He was replaced by Steve Forbes who is just returning to the side himself from an x rated injury. One of Forbes’s first touches in the twenty fourth minute saw his pass with the outside of his right foot bend neatly inside the full back allowing Darren Wheeler to exercise his pace down the left flank. Wheeler’s inch perfect cross to the far post saw Andy Forbes head home his thirteenth goal of the season.
It took a little defending from Eastleigh to keep that lead in tact immediately as the home side tried to retaliate immediately. Scott Cross saw his effort cleared off the line by David Hughes then Pullen managed to scoop the loose ball up into his arms. With seven minutes to go to the interval Cross rose high above every body in the box to head the ball back for his strike partner and former Eastleigh player Neville Roach. Roach’s shot was blocked the ball falling for Warner whose effort was ricocheted high into the air falling just under Pullen’s bar but the keeper managed to tip the ball over the bar for a corner.
In first half stoppage time Steve West’s clearance only fell for McKay on the edge of the box but the midfielders controlled volley was wide of the target.
The second half was highly nervous for both sides. Eastleigh allowed their opponents much more possession than themselves but the home side never managed to penetrate the Eastleigh defence with both West and Karim El Salahi a mountain to break down in the heart of the defence. With Mustafa improving with every game and Francis Benali showing his pedigree.
Wheeler almost doubled Eastleigh’s advantage at the start of the second period speeding away past Dell, his low left foot shot went across the face of goal but wide of the far post. McKay had another long-range effort dealt with comfortably by Pullen whilst Eastleigh’s best chance fell for Danny Smith whose shot from the edge of the box was just off target.
It was a hard working Eastleigh performance and that is all that manager Jason Dodd needs at this time to gain their rewards for more points on the board and to climb the Nationwide South table.
Fielding the same starting eleven that had gained a point at Bishops Stortford on their last away league fixture, Eastleigh edged the three points as the two sides occupying the last two spots in the league table fought out a tense affair. Play swung from end to end but neither goalkeeper were troubled too deeply, Eastleigh’s James Pullen commanding his area when any ball was hoisted into it whether it be by way of a cross or from, the artillery of long throws from the Basingstoke full back Steven Dell who has just joined the club from Slough and making his debut.
The home side almost took the lead on three minutes though, a corner from Matthew Warner was swung into the area where skipper Joe Dolan’s header beat Pullen but Tarkan Mustafa was on his post on the line to clear the ball away. Four minutes later Dolan was again causing a threat with another header from a Justyn McKay cross saved by Pullen.
The game was developing into a midfield struggle. Eastleigh lost one of their combative midfielders in Martin Thomas midway through the first half with a nasty looking hand injury. He was replaced by Steve Forbes who is just returning to the side himself from an x rated injury. One of Forbes’s first touches in the twenty fourth minute saw his pass with the outside of his right foot bend neatly inside the full back allowing Darren Wheeler to exercise his pace down the left flank. Wheeler’s inch perfect cross to the far post saw Andy Forbes head home his thirteenth goal of the season.
It took a little defending from Eastleigh to keep that lead in tact immediately as the home side tried to retaliate immediately. Scott Cross saw his effort cleared off the line by David Hughes then Pullen managed to scoop the loose ball up into his arms. With seven minutes to go to the interval Cross rose high above every body in the box to head the ball back for his strike partner and former Eastleigh player Neville Roach. Roach’s shot was blocked the ball falling for Warner whose effort was ricocheted high into the air falling just under Pullen’s bar but the keeper managed to tip the ball over the bar for a corner.
In first half stoppage time Steve West’s clearance only fell for McKay on the edge of the box but the midfielders controlled volley was wide of the target.
The second half was highly nervous for both sides. Eastleigh allowed their opponents much more possession than themselves but the home side never managed to penetrate the Eastleigh defence with both West and Karim El Salahi a mountain to break down in the heart of the defence. With Mustafa improving with every game and Francis Benali showing his pedigree.
Wheeler almost doubled Eastleigh’s advantage at the start of the second period speeding away past Dell, his low left foot shot went across the face of goal but wide of the far post. McKay had another long-range effort dealt with comfortably by Pullen whilst Eastleigh’s best chance fell for Danny Smith whose shot from the edge of the box was just off target.
It was a hard working Eastleigh performance and that is all that manager Jason Dodd needs at this time to gain their rewards for more points on the board and to climb the Nationwide South table.
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