Eastleigh back to winning ways with 3rd straight clean sheet

BATH CITY 0-2 EASTLEIGH



TUESDAY 8th SEPTEMBER 2009
Blue Square South

Report by Ray Murphy

Eastleigh’s strange start to the season continued with another excellent midweek performance still outshining the fact that they have not had a victory on a Saturday as yet this season. Steve Clark failed a late fitness test whilst Warren Goodhind and Jamie Brown were both still missing through injury. Danny Smith dropped back into a right full back berth with Trevor Challis being restored at left back and Brett Poate moving forward into a midfield role.

It was the perfect start for Eastleigh with just three minutes on the clock as Poate's throw went under the foot of central defender Matt Coupe allowing Andy Forbes to slip a shot past advancing goalkeeper Steve Perrin from inside the penalty area.

Forbes almost added to the tally on ten minutes when his header from a Poate corner was saved by Perrin. Three minutes later Perrin brought off an excellent stop to deny an Aaron Martin volley. It was not long though before Eastleigh did add a second. Eighteen minutes into the game, Tom Jordan was on the end of another Poate delivery from a free kick and guided a header past Perrin for his third goal of the season.

The second goal saw Bath City being somewhat resurgent after their disappointing opening. A low shot from Adam Connolly on twenty-one minutes brought a good save from Jason Matthews whilst four minutes later Matthews again did well to stop a header from Coupe following a Sido Jombarti free kick. On the half hour from a corner Gethin Jones headed wide of the target.

A tackle on thirty eight minutes on Jordan brought the players all together trying to sort out who was at fault with referee Mr D Eaton from Tewkesbury ending with cautions for Challis and Bath City’s Darren Edwards as the end of the half came with tempers raised on both sides.

Eastleigh had the best chances at the opening of the second period with Shaun McAuley having replaced Challis at the break. Six minutes into the period James Taylor controlled a curling Tony Taggart cross into the box but shot wide of the target whilst four minutes later Eastleigh were relieved when Martin failed to control an awkwardly bouncing ball allowing Jombarti in on goal but the stylish midfielder fired over the bar.

There were few clear cut second half chances, the back line of Eastleigh defended excellently with Jordan, Martin, Smith and Poate all putting in sterling second half performances to deny Bath any clear openings. To their credit Bath City kept their momentum ogling right until the final whistle. In the last minute of normal time Mike Perrott shot across the face of goal with the ball skimming off the far post. In stoppage time Eastleigh had their final chance when McAuley had an effort saved by Perrin.

All in all though an excellent three points.