'Rich' pickings for Eastleigh

By Wendy Gee -

Eastleigh are bang on course for the Blue Square Bet South play-offs after notching up a sixth straight league win at St Albans City last night.

Ian Baird’s on-song Spitfires came away 1-0 winners from Clarence Park thanks to a 41st- minute Richard Graham strike.

They are now sixth in the table, level on 40 points with fifth-placed Welling.

Unlike Saturday’s more extravagant finish against Dorchester, last night’s winner was more of a routine tap-in for Eastleigh wideman Graham.

Tony Taggart burst down the right and cut the ball across the face of goal for Graham to bury at the far post.

“It was a battle,” admitted Spitfires boss Ian Baird.

“We were the better side in the first half, but we didn’t play that well in the second half.”

There were, however, mitigating circumstances for Eastleigh who lost goalkeeper Gareth Barfoot to a groin injury midway through the first half and then had Luke Byles retire at half-time with the recurrence of a hamstring problem.

The experienced Jason Matthews took over in goal, while Ross Bottomley filled in at left-back.

“I don’t like singling out players, but our back four of Ross, Danny Smith, Tom Jordan and Dutchy Holland were tremendous in the second half,” said Baird.

“St Albans had the slope and we had to deal with a bombardment.

“Paul Bastock, their goalkeeper, is a big threat because of how far he can kick the ball.

“But we had our chances on the break and didn’t capitalise on them. Richard Gillespie came on and had a couple of good openings and Shaun McAuley also missed one.

“We know we didn’t play particularly well, but we certainly worked our socks off."

Striker Justin Bennett’s loan from Gosport Borough went through in time for him to make the bench. But because of the enforced changes Baird had to make, he didn’t get on.