Eastleigh 4-1 Southampton XI
EASTLEIGH v SOUTHAMPTON XI
WEDNESDAY 3rd AUGUST 2011
Pre-Season Friendly
WEDNESDAY 3rd AUGUST 2011
Pre-Season Friendly
Report by Jamie Montigue
In Eastleigh's final home friendly before the new Blue Square Bet South season kicks off, Ian Baird's Spitfires put in a team performance of a high standard to defeat a Southampton XI.
Popular former Eastleigh centre-back Aaron Martin and Saints manager Nigel Adkins made a presentation to Ian Baird before the match. Eastleigh FC received a framed Southampton shirt with Martin's name and number as a thank you for helping Aaron to develop and progress towards the Southampton first team.
New loan signing, Frankie Raymond, a left-back/centre midfielder who has joined Eastleigh from Reading, had the game’s first attempt on goal with a third minute free kick. Raymond’s curling left-foot effort flew narrowly wide of Tommy Forecast’s goal.
Ryan O’Hara was the next to come close for the hosts from another free kick, this time in the 10th minute, which Forecast saved.
Southampton’s side was primarily a youthful under-21 outfit but there were a handful of familiar players with first team experience including Ryan Dickson, Jonathan Forte, Lee Holmes and Joseph Mills.
Speedster Forte had Saints' first effort on goal in the 20th minute but Eastleigh’s Mike Green made a comfortable save to deny the forward.
The game burst into life with a remarkable three goals for Eastleigh in the space of an action-packed three minutes. JAMIE SLABBER opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 21st minute after the impressive Ryan O’Hara ran into the Southampton penalty area only to be tripped by Aarran Racine. Slabber made no mistake from 12-yards sending Forecast the wrong way.
Barely a minute had passed when the ball was in the back of the net again as ANDREW WHITE rounded off a good move from the Spitfires to finish in style. Ryan O’Hara threaded an excellent pass out to the right for White to run on to, hold off a challenge and send a neat finish past the on-rushing goalkeeper to double Eastleigh’s lead.
The drama continued in a ‘blink and you’ll miss it fashion’ as Eastleigh stunned Southampton with a quick fire third goal in as many minutes. Tommy Forecast came a long way out of goal to try and cope with an Eastleigh cross only to punch the ball straight into the path of DANNY SMITH. The long-serving centre midfielder sent the ball back towards an empty goal to find the back of the net with a 25-yard looping header to send Eastleigh into an impressive three-goal lead midway through the half.
After this incredible spell from the hosts, Southampton had a glorious chance to pull a goal back through Jonathan Forte who was played in one on one with the Eastleigh goalkeeper only to screw his shot wide of the post.
Eastleigh continued to threaten with White looking lively in attack and playing the ball into former Southampton academy winger Jordace Holder-Spooner, who is currently on trial with the Spitfires. Holder-Spooner made room for the shot but his ferocious attempt on goal saw the ball fly high over the bar.
In the closing stages of the first half, Lloyd Isgrove had a header saved by Green following a Lee Holmes cross, before White continued to trouble the Saints defence at the opposite end. White was first denied by Forecast but had another attempt with a rebound effort that fell kindly for Jamie Slabber, who perhaps should have done better than stabbing the ball over when well-placed in the 6-yard box.
LLOYD ISGROVE pulled a goal back on the stroke of half time following a poor clearance from Eastleigh, which was duly punished with a low shot into the corner of goal.
Despite conceding late in the first half, it wasn’t enough to take the shine off a very strong opening 45 minutes for Ian Baird’s Eastleigh.
Popular former Eastleigh centre-back Aaron Martin and Saints manager Nigel Adkins made a presentation to Ian Baird before the match. Eastleigh FC received a framed Southampton shirt with Martin's name and number as a thank you for helping Aaron to develop and progress towards the Southampton first team.
New loan signing, Frankie Raymond, a left-back/centre midfielder who has joined Eastleigh from Reading, had the game’s first attempt on goal with a third minute free kick. Raymond’s curling left-foot effort flew narrowly wide of Tommy Forecast’s goal.
Ryan O’Hara was the next to come close for the hosts from another free kick, this time in the 10th minute, which Forecast saved.
Southampton’s side was primarily a youthful under-21 outfit but there were a handful of familiar players with first team experience including Ryan Dickson, Jonathan Forte, Lee Holmes and Joseph Mills.
Speedster Forte had Saints' first effort on goal in the 20th minute but Eastleigh’s Mike Green made a comfortable save to deny the forward.
The game burst into life with a remarkable three goals for Eastleigh in the space of an action-packed three minutes. JAMIE SLABBER opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 21st minute after the impressive Ryan O’Hara ran into the Southampton penalty area only to be tripped by Aarran Racine. Slabber made no mistake from 12-yards sending Forecast the wrong way.
Barely a minute had passed when the ball was in the back of the net again as ANDREW WHITE rounded off a good move from the Spitfires to finish in style. Ryan O’Hara threaded an excellent pass out to the right for White to run on to, hold off a challenge and send a neat finish past the on-rushing goalkeeper to double Eastleigh’s lead.
The drama continued in a ‘blink and you’ll miss it fashion’ as Eastleigh stunned Southampton with a quick fire third goal in as many minutes. Tommy Forecast came a long way out of goal to try and cope with an Eastleigh cross only to punch the ball straight into the path of DANNY SMITH. The long-serving centre midfielder sent the ball back towards an empty goal to find the back of the net with a 25-yard looping header to send Eastleigh into an impressive three-goal lead midway through the half.
After this incredible spell from the hosts, Southampton had a glorious chance to pull a goal back through Jonathan Forte who was played in one on one with the Eastleigh goalkeeper only to screw his shot wide of the post.
Eastleigh continued to threaten with White looking lively in attack and playing the ball into former Southampton academy winger Jordace Holder-Spooner, who is currently on trial with the Spitfires. Holder-Spooner made room for the shot but his ferocious attempt on goal saw the ball fly high over the bar.
In the closing stages of the first half, Lloyd Isgrove had a header saved by Green following a Lee Holmes cross, before White continued to trouble the Saints defence at the opposite end. White was first denied by Forecast but had another attempt with a rebound effort that fell kindly for Jamie Slabber, who perhaps should have done better than stabbing the ball over when well-placed in the 6-yard box.
LLOYD ISGROVE pulled a goal back on the stroke of half time following a poor clearance from Eastleigh, which was duly punished with a low shot into the corner of goal.
Despite conceding late in the first half, it wasn’t enough to take the shine off a very strong opening 45 minutes for Ian Baird’s Eastleigh.
HALF TIME: Eastleigh 3-1 Southampton XI
After the break Eastleigh continued to show their attacking intent with Andrew White again at the thick of things for the hosts. In the 54th minute, the former Gillingham first-year pro had the Southampton keeper Jack Dovey beaten with a dangerous swerving shot from the edge of the area that rattled against the frame of the goal.
Eastleigh made several changes during the course of the second half with Gareth Barfoot, Sam Wilson, Ben Wilson, Liam Hibberd, Adam Cashin-Murray, Jack Vallis and Gary Pryde all making substitute appearances.
Andy Forbes and Tom Jordan looked solid at the back for Eastleigh with Jordan winning everything in the air in his usual dominant style, whilst Forbes looked cool, calm and collected on the ball and passing out from the back.
Ross Bottomley and Danny Smith were strong in the tackle and proved to be a commanding central midfield pairing, never giving the opposition time on the ball.
Just after the hour mark, Ryan Dickson fed the ball to Jonathan Forte whose left-foot shot from a tight angle was driven low towards goal where Barfoot made a good stop.
Wrapping up the game with Eastleigh’s fourth goal of the night, JAMIE SLABBER won and converted his second penalty in the 74th minute.
Towards the end of the game Southampton came close when Sam Hoskins headed wide from a Jason McCarthy cross. Aarran Racine saw his header fly over the bar from a corner kick in what proved to be the last of the action.
It was a good display all round from Eastleigh FC. The team looked cohesive and played together as a unit, stringing together good passages of play. Andrew White was named man of the match, just as he was in the win versus Reading last month, following another strong performance capped with a goal.
The youngsters impressed and the more experienced heads led by example. If this kind of performance can be replicated, it bodes well for the coming campaign as the club enters a new chapter.
FULL TIME: Eastleigh 4-1 Southampton XI
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| Aaron Martin makes a presentation to Eastleigh FC as a thank you - Picture courtesy of Mike Denning |
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