Unfinished business for Luke

By Wendy Gee -

LUKE Byles is determined to take care of some unfinished business with Eastleigh this season.

After a year away playing for Heidelberg United in Australia, the ex-Saints defender jetted back to home shores in September.

And though there would doubtless have been many clubs eager to sign him, Byles had already set his heart on a return to the Silverlake Stadium where he had come tantalisingly close to promotion two seasons ago.

With Byles their outstanding performer, the Spitfires finished a best ever third in the Blue Square Bet South in 2008/09 to book their place in the play-offs.

But after winning 4-2 at Hayes & Yeading in the semi-final first leg, having at one stage cruised 4-0 up, Eastleigh's dream was shattered when they were thumped 4-0 in the home return.

It's a crushing disappointment that lived with Byles during his time Down Under - and one he is desperate to make amends for this term.

Although Eastleigh have added the likes of Shaun McAuley, Richard Graham, Chris Holland, Ross Bottomley, Gareth Barfoot, Richard Gillespie and Jamie Slabber to their ranks since Byles headed south two summers ago, the core of Ian Baird's team remains the same, making it easy for the likeable left-back to slot straight back in.

"I had a lot of friends still here and people I'd played with before I went travelling, so I wanted to come back and have another season at Eastleigh," he explained.

"We finished third and didn't quite make it through the play-offs and it was always in the back of my mind to come back and say: 'Let's do it this time.'

Based in northern Melbourne, Heidelberg ply their trade in the Victorian Premier League.

"It's a lot different to the football here," said Byles. "You only play once a week no matter what, you get breaks mid-season and you only play 22 games.

"There are some good players out there, but I'd say it's just below the standard here.

"There'd been a drought out there so the pitches weren't that great but there were some good matches.

"The league's ethnic based. I played for a Greek team and there were a lot of other nationalities like Croatians, Serbians and Albanians, so there were so big derby games."

No sooner had the campaign finished Down Under than Byles flew back to Britain, accompanied by his Australian girlfriend Dani, with whom he now lives just off Bedford Place in the heart of Southampton.

Diving straight out of one football season into another was understandably tough and it took him a while to adjust to the demands of the Conference South.

But Byles, who turned 27 on January 8th, had been gradually returning to his best before going off with a hamstring injury in Monday's thrilling 4-2 home victory over his old club Havant & Waterlooville when the Spitfires scored twice in stoppage time.

"I finished the Australian season and came straight back here and I wasn't as fit as I would like to have been," he said.

"It's a lot more physical over here and it's tough to get back into the tempo.

"But in the last three or four games I've started to get back into the pace of it and we've had some really good results," added Byles.

"The whole team's coming together now. We've had some real long-term injuries, but Shaun McAuley's fit again and eager to get back in and we've still got Brett Poate to come back.

"Apart from the Staines result (a 4-1 home defeat) we've done well since our FA Cup exit at Woking and we want to keep climbing the league."

Unlike previous seasons when the likes of AFC Wimbledon and Newport County have dominated, there is no stand-out side in the Conference South this term.

It leaves the promotion places - and indeed, the title race - wide open and Byles believes Eastleigh have as good a chance as any of going all the way.

"The title is there to be won and this is a championship-winning team," he said.

"If we can stay clear of injuries and sort out our home form, we've got every chance."

•  Eastleigh's much-delayed Hampshire FA Senior Cup third round tie against Havant & Waterlooville has been rearranged for Wednesday (January 12, 7.45pm) at the Hawks' Westleigh Park ground.