Eastleigh FC

EASTLEIGH v BOREHAM WOOD SATURDAY 30th OCTOBER 2010 Blue Square Bet South Report by Jamie Montigue Eastleigh bounced back from the disappointment of the FA Cup last weekend by winning a second consecutive league match this afternoon by three goals to nil. Including cup games, Ian Baird’s side have scored 13 goals and conceded just 3 in their last four games with three clean sheets to boot. The Spitfires couldn’t have got off to a better start against Boreham Wood with Baird’s side racing into the lead with just 30 seconds played. The game had barely kicked off when Richard Graham crossed from the left to find TONY TAGGART unmarked at the back post. The on-loan winger from Newport County headed goal wards from close range and made no mistake in beating the keeper. After the dream start for Eastleigh, in the third and fourth minutes the visitors looked to hit back through their captain. Mario Noto drove a low shot across goal, which was deflected for a corner, before letting fly agai...

Message posted by Dave Malone, Eastleigh FC Director of Football: As some of you will know, we were delighted to host the "Sky Sports - Christmas Special" filming at the Silverlake Stadium yesterday (Thursday). The day was a fantastic success, and all of the Sky Sports team were delighted with the way things went. To give some background on the day, I will detail how this evolved: Some three or four weeks ago I spoke with Matt Le Tisssier (yes, that ex-Eastleigh legend!!) who asked if we would be interested in hosting the filming of the Sky Xmas Special. You can be assured that we quickly agreed, and then had two meetings with Sky production staff - who in turn were impressed with our facilities (including the all weather pitches) - and confirmed that they would like to do their filming at the Silverlake. I am sorry that we were asked NOT to publicise the event, as the "crowd" was limited to around 600 people. The format of the day was that 4 tea...

By Wendy Gee - Eastleigh boss Ian Baird (pictured) is usually strong in the face of defeat, but last Saturday’s 3-2 FA Cup exit at Woking hurt him more than most. “I woke up at seven o’clock on the Sunday morning and I felt like staying in bed all day,” he confessed. And, even now, as he sets about putting the broken pieces back together again for tomorrow’s league visit of Boreham Wood, the pain still lingers. “I still haven’t recovered from it," he said. “It wasn’t like losing to Burgess Hill a couple of years ago because, on that day, we deserved to lose. “At Woking we didn’t – and it’s massive kick in the teeth.” Having scored inside 80 seconds, the Spitfires should have been home and dry in the first 20 minutes. But a combination of poor finishing, bad decision-making and slap-dash defending handed the game to Woking on a plate. And Baird’s mood didn’t get any better on Sunday when the Cards were drawn away to his old club Brighton & Hove Albion in the firs...

WOKING 3-2 EASTLEIGH SATURDAY 23rd OCTOBER 2010     FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round Report by Ray Murphy Eastleigh disappointedly exited the FA Cup at the Fourth Qualifying Round stage to fellow Blue Square Bet South side Woking. In only their third ever time in reaching this stage of the competition, Eastleigh only had themselves to blame for not making the First Round for the second successive season. Manager Ian Baird named an unchanged side for the third consecutive game and there were also places on the bench for the first action of the season for long-term injury victims Peter Adeniyi and Shaun McAuley. So all seemed to be on the right path for Eastleigh especially when they took a lead inside the opening two minutes. Having shown respect for the recently deceased Colin Lippiatt a well respected Woking and non-league football manager with a minute’s applause, Eastleigh took the opening of the game into their stride. Only seventy-nine seconds had been played when Warre...

Woking v Eastleigh - FA Cup 4th Qualfiying Round By Wendy Gee - EASTLEIGH may sit eight places above tomorrow's FA Cup hosts Woking in the Blue Square Bet South. But Spitfires boss Ian Baird still ranks his side as the underdogs for the fourth qualifying round clash at the Kingfield Stadium. While current form suggests the Spitfires have a slight edge, history and tradition rests firmly in favour of a Woking side managed by Baird's fellow ex-Saint Graham Baker. Compared to the Surrey club, Eastleigh are new boys on the upper non-League block. Seven seasons ago they were still a Wessex League club and it was only last year that they made their first venture into the FA Cup first round proper. Woking, on the other hand, spent 17 years in the Conference National until being relegated in the summer of 2009. FA Cup-wise, they wrote themselves into non-League folklore in 1990/91 when they came back from a goal behind to beat then second tier West Bromwich Albion 4-2 in the t...

EASTLEIGH FC supporters are invited to come down early to Woking's Cardinals Bar THIS SATURDAY for the FA Cup game when all draught beers are reduced to £2 for 90 minutes before the game. The big match special will kick off at 12 noon and will see a super discount in place until 1.30pm with football action on the big screen TV. The special promotion on all draught beers also gives you a chance to enter a FREE draw for a bottle of bubbly to everyone in the bar with a drink during our 90 minute promotion. The offer is open to both Woking and Eastleigh supporters – so spread the word and let’s fill Cardinals Bar!

By Wendy Gee - DISAPPOINTED Eastleigh boss Ian Baird has advised departed midfielder Will Hendry to take up golf or tennis - because he isn't a team player. While Baird rates Hendry's ability, he feels his attitude leaves a lot to be desired, resulting in the 23-year-old being released this week by the Blue Square South outfit for a breach of club discipline. Having been booed by a handful of Spitfires fans when he was substituted during the 1-0 home defeat by Basingstoke on October 2, Hendry was named on the bench for the next two games. Illness ruled him out of training prior to the 5-0 FA Cup triumph at Clevedon, where he went on for the last 15 minutes, and Baird stuck with an unchanged side for Saturday's 3-0 league win over Dartford, sending Hendry on in the 87th minute. So peeved was the former Millwall player with his lack of action that he refused to take part in any post-match running with head coach Matt Gray. "As is normal with 99.99% of clubs, we ask the ...

EASTLEIGH v DARTFORD SATURDAY 16th OCTOBER 2010 Blue Square Bet South Report by Jamie Montigue Eastleigh put in a solid, all-round display this afternoon to get back to winning ways in the Blue Square Bet South and climb to seventh in the table. Victory sees Ian Baird’s side keep in close contact with the teams in the play-off positions. The Spitfires had the luxury of naming an unchanged starting eleven as they took on Dartford. Looking at the quality on the bench says a lot for the squad that has been assembled at the Silverlake Stadium with important players Gareth Barfoot, Ross Bottomley, Will Hendry, Brett Williams and Jamie Brown all having to settle for being named as substitutes. Of course this excludes the likes of Peter Adeniyi, Shaun McAuley and Brett Poate who are all still to come back from injury. Inside the opening minute of the game, on-loan winger Tony Taggart won a free kick, which he took himself and saw the keeper Andy Young get behind his 30-yard strike. Moments...

By Wendy Gee -     IAN Baird could be up against fellow ex-Saint Graham Baker in the FA Cup fourth qualifying round. Baird’s Eastleigh – 5-0 winners at Clevedon Town on Saturday – have been drawn away to either Baker’s Woking or Brentwood Town on October 23. Ten-man Brentwood, of the Ryman Division One North, were leading Woking into stoppage time on Saturday until Joe McNerney popped up with a 93rd-minute leveller for the Blue Square Bet South visitors. The replay is on Tuesday night at the Kingfield Stadium. Poole Town, the Sydenhams Wessex League’s sole survivors, are at home to full-time Conference outfit Hayes & Yeading Utd, while Darrell Clarke’s Salisbury City must hit the road to Corby Town of the BSB North. Hamble ASSC’s conquerors Farnborough have home advantage over BSB South rivals Dover Athletic, famous Cup giant-killers Havant & Waterlooville entertain Histon at Westleigh Park, while Basingstoke Town can expect to pack out the Camrose for their ...

CLEVEDON TOWN 0-5 EASTLEIGH SATURDAY 9th OCTOBER 2010   FA Cup 3rd Qualifying Round Report by Ray Murphy These two Clubs have now met twice in their history, both times in the Third Qualifying Round of the FA Cup, the last time in 2007, but on both occasions Eastleigh have netted five goals without reply. Following their defeat the previous Saturday at home to Basingstoke, Eastleigh manager Ian Baird made some changes to the side with Jason Matthews returning in goal at the expense of Gareth Barfoot, Luke Byles returned from illness which meant Ross Bottomley lost his place in the starting eleven whilst Danny Smith returned from suspension therefore Will Hendry dropped to a substitutes role. Richard Gillespie passed a late fitness test. The game started with a melee inside the opening minute. Only ten seconds had been played when Smith collected the ball in the middle of the park and was then the subject of a robust challenge that saw a heated exchange between several of the p...

By Wendy Gee - EASTLEIGH boss Ian Baird says his players have put pressure on themselves for tomorrow's FA Cup third qualifying round tie at Clevedon Town. Last Saturday's uninspired 1-0 league defeat at home to Hampshire rivals Basingstoke means the Spitfires travel to Somerset with a point to prove. After a decent start to the Blue Square Bet South campaign, Eastleigh lost their way against Basingstoke and were unable to respond after falling behind to a tenth-minute set-piece. On paper tomorrow's opponents, currently third to bottom of the Zamaretto South & West, should not pose a problem for Eastleigh's Conference thoroughbreds, but Baird admitted: "We need to play better than we did last week, that's for sure. "If we'd won last Saturday, we wouldn't have built up pressure on ourselves like we have. "The club knows and I know what's expected of us tomorrow and the players have got to live with a certain amount of responsibi...

By Wendy Gee - EASTLEIGH have "reluctantly" released striker Staforde Palmer due to another long-term injury. The luckless frontman had only just joined the Spitfires on loan from Hayes & Yeading last season when he was carried off with knee ligament damage in his fateful third appearance at Weston-Super-Mare in mid-February. The fit-again 22-year-old re-joined the club in pre-season. But, with the new campaign just two games old, he was stretchered off once more with knee problems in the 4-0 win at Dorchester. Dave Malone, director of football of the Blue Square Bet South club, explained: "We have reluctantly released Staforde, who was with us on a non-contract basis. "Staf has been injured for several weeks and will need further surgery before he is able to regain fitness. "We wish him well and will be only too pleased to see back at the Silverlake Stadium as and when he is fit enough to return." Picture by Jamie Montigue

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EASTLEIGH 0-1 BASINGSTOKE TOWN SATURDAY 2nd OCTOBER 2010 Blue Square Bet South Report by Jamie Montigue Eastleigh came off second best in this Hampshire derby against Basingstoke Town as Frank Gray’s visitors left the Silverlake Stadium with all three points, courtesy of a tenth minute goal from their captain Ross Adams. Ian Baird was dealt with a few selection problems ahead of the game with Luke Byles missing through illness and midfielder Danny Smith unavailable owing to suspension. The Spitfires brought in Warren Goodhind, Anthony Riviere and loan-signing Tony Taggart into the starting line up following the winger’s return to the club on a two-month loan from Newport County. The Spitfires were the first to threaten with Richard Gillespie playing a ball through to Slabber in the 6th minute. Eastleigh’s top goal scorer had done well in his movement off the ball but saw his tame shot across goal comfortably saved by goalkeeper Chris Tardif. Basingstoke came even closer two minutes ...

By Wendy Gee - TONY Taggart could be back flying up and down the right flank for Eastleigh at home to Basingstoke Town in the Blue Square Bet South tomorrow. The Spitfires are awaiting international clearance to finalise the loan of the 28-year-old winger – just four months after Taggart left the Silverlake Stadium to join Newport County. With Shaun McAuley and Peter Adeniyi lost to long-term injury, Eastleigh have had frontman Richard Gillespie filling in on the right. Gillespie, as ever, has put in 100 per cent effort, but manager Ian Baird admitted: “The right has been a problem for us since day one of the season and we need to address it. “Losing McAuley and Adeniyi means we’ve had to put square pegs in round holes.” Some would argue that Taggart should never have been allowed to go in the first place, but Baird said: “There was nothing we could do. “Taggs was offered full-time football at a Conference National club and he would have been a fool not to take it. “We couldn’t compet...

FIVE STAR COUNTY LAND HOLDSWORTH ANOTHER PRIZE Dean Holdsworth from Newport County has been named the Blue Square Bet Premier ‘manager of the month’ for September. The newly promoted Exiles won five of their six games during the month including Dean’s historic clash against his twin brother David’s Mansfield Town. County also won at Rushden & Diamonds and managed to become the team to end Cambridge United’s unbeaten home record with a 1-0 success. Following the ‘Welsh Derby’ with Wrexham at the beginning of the month, Holdsworth’s side go into October off the back of five straight victories. The Blue Square Bet North ‘manager of the month’ for September is Steve Kittrick from Guiseley. Last season’s Northern Premier champions are adjusting to life in this higher division as they sit fifth after the opening nine games. The Lions are unbeaten since the second week of August and have also progressed to the third qualifying round of the FA Cup. The Blue Square Bet South ‘manager of...