Eastleigh 3-0 Hampton & Richmond
EASTLEIGH v HAMPTON & RICHMOND BOROUGH
MONDAY 25th APRIL
Blue Square Bet South
Report by Ray Murphy
Eastleigh with their play off ambitions totally out of their hands, produced an excellent performance on a sun drenched Silverlake Stadium for their final home appearance of the season. Several changes were made to the starting Eastleigh line up with Gareth Barfoot, Ross Bottomley, Jamie Brown and Richard Gillespie making the starting eleven and 17-year-old midfielder Liam Hibberd promoted from captain of the reserves to the first team bench.
Eastleigh could not have wished for a better start. Forty seconds were on the clock when Tony Taggart's corner to the near post saw Danny Smith turn his header into the roof of the net.
The game was all Eastleigh, the side produced an attack minded display from the outset and the visitors struggled to cope with the entire armoury that Eastleigh could bring towards them. On six minutes Jamie Brown’s shot from some thirty yards was saved by Hampton goalkeeper Matt Lovett just under the bar.
On thirteen minutes Luke Byles’ cross was headed just wide by Taggart, then four minutes later Taggart teased his marker before setting up Anthony Riviere but Lovell was equal to the midfielder's shot. Warren Goodhind showing some exquisite touches as usual and playing an overlapping full back role sent in a cross on nineteen minutes which Gillespie headed wide.
Taggart enjoying his wide role played a pass into the feet of Gillespie on thirty one minutes, Gillespie laid the ball off for his strike partner Brown who looked in anguish as his left foot drive went just over the bar. Eastleigh added a deserved second goal on thirty-nine minutes. Temporarily reduced to ten men with Bottomley receiving treatment to a cut on his head, Richard Graham's corner from the left was met with a thumping header from Brown to register his first goal of the season.
The scoring in the first half was not complete either, With a minute of stoppage time played Graham's free kick on the angle of the penalty box arrived at the far post where Taggart added another headed goal to his tally.
With five additional minutes having been added owing to Bottomley’s injury and also for an injury for Hampton defender Barrie Matthews, who was stretchered from the pitch and left the ground on crutches; there were two other chances in the stoppage time period. Brown headed a Taggart cross over whilst the only real chance that Hampton had throughout the game saw a Lawrence Yaku shot saved by Barfoot.
The second half continued in much the same vain though no more goals were added despite several attempts being created. Gillespie saw a header from a Goodhind cross just wide on fifty-seven minutes whilst Bottomley headed a Taggart free kick wide on sixty-four minutes.
Gillespie fired another Taggart cross over the bar then saw following another Taggart delivery a header saved by Lovett. The pair combined again on seventy-five minutes with this time a Taggart free kick headed wide by Gillespie.
Eastleigh did have the ball in the back of the net again with nine minutes to go. Taggart lofted the ball over the top of the Hampton defence where Gillespie had his shot blocked. The ball though fell for substitute Jamie Slabber who slotted the ball past Lovett but he was given offside.
There was even time for a sortie from the defence by Tom Jordan celebrating his ‘Supporters Player Of The Year’ award, cantering from his own position into the Hampton box and outfoxing the defender with a step over before winning a corner.
The final chance of the afternoon arrived three minutes into injury time again Gillespie would have been the benefactor but his effort was saved by Lovett.
Eastleigh could not have wished for a better start. Forty seconds were on the clock when Tony Taggart's corner to the near post saw Danny Smith turn his header into the roof of the net.
The game was all Eastleigh, the side produced an attack minded display from the outset and the visitors struggled to cope with the entire armoury that Eastleigh could bring towards them. On six minutes Jamie Brown’s shot from some thirty yards was saved by Hampton goalkeeper Matt Lovett just under the bar.
On thirteen minutes Luke Byles’ cross was headed just wide by Taggart, then four minutes later Taggart teased his marker before setting up Anthony Riviere but Lovell was equal to the midfielder's shot. Warren Goodhind showing some exquisite touches as usual and playing an overlapping full back role sent in a cross on nineteen minutes which Gillespie headed wide.
Taggart enjoying his wide role played a pass into the feet of Gillespie on thirty one minutes, Gillespie laid the ball off for his strike partner Brown who looked in anguish as his left foot drive went just over the bar. Eastleigh added a deserved second goal on thirty-nine minutes. Temporarily reduced to ten men with Bottomley receiving treatment to a cut on his head, Richard Graham's corner from the left was met with a thumping header from Brown to register his first goal of the season.
The scoring in the first half was not complete either, With a minute of stoppage time played Graham's free kick on the angle of the penalty box arrived at the far post where Taggart added another headed goal to his tally.
With five additional minutes having been added owing to Bottomley’s injury and also for an injury for Hampton defender Barrie Matthews, who was stretchered from the pitch and left the ground on crutches; there were two other chances in the stoppage time period. Brown headed a Taggart cross over whilst the only real chance that Hampton had throughout the game saw a Lawrence Yaku shot saved by Barfoot.
The second half continued in much the same vain though no more goals were added despite several attempts being created. Gillespie saw a header from a Goodhind cross just wide on fifty-seven minutes whilst Bottomley headed a Taggart free kick wide on sixty-four minutes.
Gillespie fired another Taggart cross over the bar then saw following another Taggart delivery a header saved by Lovett. The pair combined again on seventy-five minutes with this time a Taggart free kick headed wide by Gillespie.
Eastleigh did have the ball in the back of the net again with nine minutes to go. Taggart lofted the ball over the top of the Hampton defence where Gillespie had his shot blocked. The ball though fell for substitute Jamie Slabber who slotted the ball past Lovett but he was given offside.
There was even time for a sortie from the defence by Tom Jordan celebrating his ‘Supporters Player Of The Year’ award, cantering from his own position into the Hampton box and outfoxing the defender with a step over before winning a corner.
The final chance of the afternoon arrived three minutes into injury time again Gillespie would have been the benefactor but his effort was saved by Lovett.
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