Late Baker strike secures share of spoils

WESTON-SUPER-MARE v EASTLEIGH



MONDAY 1st SEPTEMBER 2008
Blue Square South

Report by Ray Murphy

Forty-eight hours earlier Eastleigh FC produced their worst display for some time, this performance restored some of the faith back in them with a determination to show that the St Albans fiasco was a one off.

Andy Harris returned to the side from injury whilst there was a first start of the season for David Hughes, Aaron Martin and James Baker making way for them as they dropped to the bench where they were joined by returnee Warren Goodhind after a short spell at Harrow Borough. Jamie Brown playing in a strikers role lining up again with his ex Dorchester team mate and front-runner Matt Groves.

The early showing signs were worrying though. The home side with ex-Eastleigh striker Ashan Holgate leading their attack had the ball in the net after only five minutes. Marvin Brown saw an effort blocked the ball running for Andy Gurney who turned the ball into the net only to be denied by the flag of an assistant for being in an offside position. Eastleigh also produced an early attempt on the eighth minute Tony Taggart combining well with Groves before firing a shot against the foot of the post.

The half developed into a non-descript affair with neither side taking control of the midfield. As the game approached the interval Eastleigh started to hold the upper hand. Brown turned inside his defender on thirty-seven minutes but saw his long range shot saved by Ryan Northmore. A minute later Anthony Riviere sent a dipping drive just over the bar and on the stroke of half time Harris fired in a free kick that hit a defender falling for Riviere who fired over the target again.

A damp second period brought more chances for both sides. Nine minutes into the period Riviere's through ball saw Brown shoot narrowly wide then Taggart had another effort saved by Northmore.

Trevor Challis had to be alert to keep wing man Dean Grubb contained, one time Grubb did get past Challis in the sixty-third minute saw the wingers cross fly across the face of the Eastleigh goal but with no one on hand to apply the finishing touch. Eastleigh did fall behind on seventy-two minutes. A long clearance from Northmore was not dealt with by the Eastleigh defence, Jason Matthews had to punch the ball clear only falling invitingly for Ben Wells to turn on the edge of the box and place the ball into the corner of the net.

Wells was denied a second by a good save by Matthews after seventy-five minutes then four minutes later both Holgate and Brown failed to turn home a cross from Darren Mullings when unmarked in the area. Grubb had a run and final shot blocked by Riviere with nine minutes remaining as the home side looked for a deciding goal.

With three minutes remaining Eastleigh scored to claim a point they fully deserved. Harris’ corner was turned back across goal by Luke Byles and substitute James Baker turned home his third league goal of the season.