Baird: "We have got to grow up"

By Wendy Gee -

IAN Baird has warned that Eastleigh's young guns must grow up - and grow up fast - if the club are to avoid a season of struggle in the Blue Square Bet South.

Once again, the Spitfires showed plenty of promise at high-flying Dartford on Saturday, but their naivety was ruthlessly punished in a 3-0 defeat at Princes Park.

"It wasn't a 3-0 loss. In patches of the game, we did very well and we more than matched them," said Baird. "But once again our naivety showed in the way we conceded the goals.

"You can forget the third goal, that was scored in 93rd minute when they broke on us.

"But as for the first two, you can't concede goals like that and expect to win games of football.

"It's so frustrating when you consider what Dartford have got compared to what we've got and yet all we could hear at half-time was their manager absolutely berating their side. He made me look like Timmy Mallett!

"But I can't keep saying week after week: 'I don't know how we managed to lose the game'. Individual errors are costing us and it's very disappointing.

"These lads need to grow up very, very quickly. This isn't academy football or development football, it's Conference South football where we're playing to win, playing for money and playing for points - and it does matter if we get beat."

A forgettable first half playing in a swirling wind at Dartford stuttered to life in the 21st minute when Eastleigh carelessly conceded possession while on the attack. Darts' Adam Green sought out former Spitfires winger Richard Graham who set up Charlie Sheringham to fire the home side ahead.

Eastleigh maintained a foothold in the game until the 69th minute when Sheringham - son of ex-England star Teddy - struck again for his ninth goal of the season.

The Spitfires' misery was completed in stoppage time when substitute Lee Burns's close-range shot deflected in off Eastleigh's on-loan midfielder Henrik Breimyr.

The result keeps Dartford third in the table, while back-to-back defeats have Eastleigh to 18th.

Baird will today be trying to extend Breimyr's loan from Aldershot for a further month.

The loan of Reading full-back Frankie Raymond, who has missed the last two games suspended, has now expired. "I'll be looking at that one," said Baird.

Eastleigh have no midweek game. They return to action at home to Hampton & Richmond Borough on Saturday (3pm).