First win for Spitfires marred by Palmer injury

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By Wendy Gee -
Pictures by Jamie Montigue & Graeme Horobin

Jamie SlabberJAMIE Slabber (pictured) bagged a hat-trick as Eastleigh kick-started their season in emphatic style with a 4-0 win at Dorchester Town last night.

But as is so often the case with the injury-cursed Spitfires, there was a nasty sting in the tail.

Little more than five minutes after entering the game as a second-half substitute, summer signing Staforde Palmer was stretchered off with what manager Ian Baird fears to be another cruciate ligament injury.

The luckless Palmer has only just got back to full fitness after his loan spell at Eastleigh from Hayes & Yeading last season was cut short by a similar injury sustained at Weston-super-Mare.

Though he was delighted with last night’s result and, in particular, the partnership of Slabber and Brett Williams up front, Baird confessed: “Staforde’s injury has put a dampener on things. It’s unbelievably bad luck for the lad. He battled so hard to get fit again and he’s a massive character to have around.

Staforde Palmer
Injury blow: Staforde Palmer

“As one of the Dorchester centre-halves challenged him, Staforde turned and twisted his knee. Will Hendry was driving him home and taking him straight to hospital.

“We won’t know until tomorrow exactly what the damage is but the worst-case scenario is it’s another cruciate ligament injury.” 

Having started on the right in Saturday's unlucky 2-1 defeat by Bishop's Stortford, Palmer was named on the bench last night. Richard Gillespie was moved out wide, allowing on-loan AFC Totton striker Brett Williams to partner Slabber up front.

The ex-Spurs man opened his account on 18 minutes from a Hendry assist and just after the half-hour mark Williams teed him up for his second.

Seven minutes into the second half, Slabber completed his hat-trick after Richard Graham's cross had been headed back across goal by Gillespie.

Another of the Spitfires' summer signings got the fourth - former Bath City defender Chris Holland heading in Hendry's corner.

"Anyone who saw the Bishops Stortford game on Saturday will know we had the chances to win it," said Baird.

"Last night showed that when we do take our chances, it's a different ball game.

"Brett and Jamie Slabber were outstanding up top. It was a thoroughly professiona performance from everyone."

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