Eastleigh v Sutton United - Match Preview
By Kieran James
Ian Baird’s Spitfires will look to extend there unbeaten home league run to nine games when they entertain Sutton United at the Silverlake Stadium tomorrow (3pm kick off).
Eastleigh’s last game was at home to then 15th-placed Salisbury City which proved to be a tough game after The Whites made Ian Baird's side battle for a share of the points.
It took seventeen minutes before former Spitfire Robbie Matthews put the visitors in front. Eastleigh’s Andy Forbes missed an interception, which led to Matthews finishing off following a long ball forward from the right.
After a disallowed Salisbury goal in the second half and much pressure from the visitors, former Aldershot Town winger Graeme Montgomery came on as a substitute in the 80th minute.
Montgomery popped up with the late equaliser with a superb 30-yard strike that curled in to the bottom right corner six minutes after he came on, much to the delight of the Eastleigh management team and players.
There was still time for a late winner however both teams just couldn’t get past the opposition goalkeepers who played a key part in the game; including Eastleigh’s Jack Dovey who made a fantastic double save in the dying minutes to secure a share of the spoils which moved the Spitfires up to 11th place in the league.
This dramatic encounter between Eastleigh and Salisbury extended Eastleigh’s home league run to eight games and the Spitfires have not lost a league game since 3rd September at home to Bromley.
Sutton United’s last game was away to 16th placed Maidenhead United at York Road. The home side took a surprising seventh minute lead after Alex Wall beat the offside trap to break clear down the right and his accurate low cross was finished by Manny Williams.
The U’s responded straight away after former Spitfire Anthony Riviere, who made over 200 appearances for Eastleigh, worked a delightful one-two with Joel Ledgister before striking the ball past Lumley in to the far corner of the net for his first goal since Sutton United’s win at Tonbridge back in August.
The game finished 1-1 with Sutton wondering why they couldn’t bag all three points with much of the possession going The U’s way.
A number of former Spitfires that play for Sutton at the moment won’t be involved in tomorrow’s clash as goalkeeping legend Wayne Shaw will miss the game as he is playing for Fleet Town and former Eastleigh fans favourite Tony Taggart is out with a broken finger.
Sutton United’s manager is former Eastleigh bos Paul Doswell who departed Eastleigh in 2008.
Doswell worked wonders at Eastleigh overseeing the Spitfires to Wessex Premier League glory and finished third in his first season in the Ryman Premier League before winning the play offs with a 1-0 win over Leyton. Eastleigh were then promoted under Doswell to the Blue Square Bet South as well as winning the Russell Coates Cup in 2005.
The last time these two teams met was at Gander Green Lane when The U’s had the lead after seven minutes when Andy Forbes, returning to Sutton in Eastleigh colours, conceded a free kick on the right which Eastleigh only partially cleared.
Leroy Griffiths returned a cross from the left which Jamie Brown could only direct in to his own goal under the challenge of Craig Watkins.
Tony Taggart doubled Sutton’s lead in the 35th minute, the former Spitfire headed the ball through towards Craig Watkins and Anthony Riviere.
The winger realised that both Riviere and Watkins were offside and chased the ball himself which found himself clear of the defence and finished a great solo move with a shot past the advancing Gareth Barfoot.
Paul Doswell’s men secured all three points on that occasion, however the last time the teams played at the Silverlake Stadium was in the FA Trophy first round last season, when Sutton were in a league below Eastleigh in the Ryman Premier League which they won in 2010/11.
Sutton United took an early lead through Craig Dundas with just five minutes played, the powerful striker pounced in the six-yard box to turn the ball into the net following a great double save from Gareth Barfoot.
The Eastleigh keeper first denied a long range effort from Tom Kavanagh and quickly reacted to deny now Eastleigh centre-back Andy Forbes' goal-bound shot, the ball fell in the right place for Dundas to hand the visitors a dream start.
Two minutes from time in a dramatic twist, now Sutton United winger Tony Taggart turned the ball in after Jamie Slabber produced a great cross which forced a replay at Gander Green Lane where Eastleigh claimed £5000 in prize money after winning 0-4. Just one player who scored on that night remains at the club - Jamie Slabber.
The former Eastleigh players who are due to play tomorrow are Anthony Riviere and Leroy Griffiths as three of the former players won’t be available including Karim El-Salahi who has retired to concentrate on his school teaching.
Eastleigh’s last season’s top scorer with 25 goals and this seasons top scorer with nine goals in all competitions, Jamie Slabber, is available for tomorrow’s game after recovering from a cut shin.
The former Tottenham Hotspur striker has been out for twenty days including three games and it will come as a bonus as goals have been hard to come by in the last couple of games for The Spitfires.
In other news former Reading and Gillingham striker Andrew White has been released by Eastleigh after being on loan at Blue Square Bet South side Dorchester Town. White had made 23 appearances scoring four goals this season for The Spitfires making him Eastleigh’s third top goalscorer behind Jamie Brown (5) and Jamie Slabber (9).
Ian Herring has joined his former club Evo-Stik Southern Premier League outfit Chippenham Town on a month loan and Eastleigh Australian young defender has moved back to Australia to focus on a university career.
Ian Baird’s Spitfires will look to extend there unbeaten home league run to nine games when they entertain Sutton United at the Silverlake Stadium tomorrow (3pm kick off).
Eastleigh’s last game was at home to then 15th-placed Salisbury City which proved to be a tough game after The Whites made Ian Baird's side battle for a share of the points.
It took seventeen minutes before former Spitfire Robbie Matthews put the visitors in front. Eastleigh’s Andy Forbes missed an interception, which led to Matthews finishing off following a long ball forward from the right.
After a disallowed Salisbury goal in the second half and much pressure from the visitors, former Aldershot Town winger Graeme Montgomery came on as a substitute in the 80th minute.
Montgomery popped up with the late equaliser with a superb 30-yard strike that curled in to the bottom right corner six minutes after he came on, much to the delight of the Eastleigh management team and players.
There was still time for a late winner however both teams just couldn’t get past the opposition goalkeepers who played a key part in the game; including Eastleigh’s Jack Dovey who made a fantastic double save in the dying minutes to secure a share of the spoils which moved the Spitfires up to 11th place in the league.
This dramatic encounter between Eastleigh and Salisbury extended Eastleigh’s home league run to eight games and the Spitfires have not lost a league game since 3rd September at home to Bromley.
Sutton United’s last game was away to 16th placed Maidenhead United at York Road. The home side took a surprising seventh minute lead after Alex Wall beat the offside trap to break clear down the right and his accurate low cross was finished by Manny Williams.
The U’s responded straight away after former Spitfire Anthony Riviere, who made over 200 appearances for Eastleigh, worked a delightful one-two with Joel Ledgister before striking the ball past Lumley in to the far corner of the net for his first goal since Sutton United’s win at Tonbridge back in August.
The game finished 1-1 with Sutton wondering why they couldn’t bag all three points with much of the possession going The U’s way.
A number of former Spitfires that play for Sutton at the moment won’t be involved in tomorrow’s clash as goalkeeping legend Wayne Shaw will miss the game as he is playing for Fleet Town and former Eastleigh fans favourite Tony Taggart is out with a broken finger.
Sutton United’s manager is former Eastleigh bos Paul Doswell who departed Eastleigh in 2008.
Doswell worked wonders at Eastleigh overseeing the Spitfires to Wessex Premier League glory and finished third in his first season in the Ryman Premier League before winning the play offs with a 1-0 win over Leyton. Eastleigh were then promoted under Doswell to the Blue Square Bet South as well as winning the Russell Coates Cup in 2005.
The last time these two teams met was at Gander Green Lane when The U’s had the lead after seven minutes when Andy Forbes, returning to Sutton in Eastleigh colours, conceded a free kick on the right which Eastleigh only partially cleared.
Leroy Griffiths returned a cross from the left which Jamie Brown could only direct in to his own goal under the challenge of Craig Watkins.
Tony Taggart doubled Sutton’s lead in the 35th minute, the former Spitfire headed the ball through towards Craig Watkins and Anthony Riviere.
The winger realised that both Riviere and Watkins were offside and chased the ball himself which found himself clear of the defence and finished a great solo move with a shot past the advancing Gareth Barfoot.
Paul Doswell’s men secured all three points on that occasion, however the last time the teams played at the Silverlake Stadium was in the FA Trophy first round last season, when Sutton were in a league below Eastleigh in the Ryman Premier League which they won in 2010/11.
Sutton United took an early lead through Craig Dundas with just five minutes played, the powerful striker pounced in the six-yard box to turn the ball into the net following a great double save from Gareth Barfoot.
The Eastleigh keeper first denied a long range effort from Tom Kavanagh and quickly reacted to deny now Eastleigh centre-back Andy Forbes' goal-bound shot, the ball fell in the right place for Dundas to hand the visitors a dream start.
Two minutes from time in a dramatic twist, now Sutton United winger Tony Taggart turned the ball in after Jamie Slabber produced a great cross which forced a replay at Gander Green Lane where Eastleigh claimed £5000 in prize money after winning 0-4. Just one player who scored on that night remains at the club - Jamie Slabber.
The former Eastleigh players who are due to play tomorrow are Anthony Riviere and Leroy Griffiths as three of the former players won’t be available including Karim El-Salahi who has retired to concentrate on his school teaching.
Eastleigh’s last season’s top scorer with 25 goals and this seasons top scorer with nine goals in all competitions, Jamie Slabber, is available for tomorrow’s game after recovering from a cut shin.
The former Tottenham Hotspur striker has been out for twenty days including three games and it will come as a bonus as goals have been hard to come by in the last couple of games for The Spitfires.
In other news former Reading and Gillingham striker Andrew White has been released by Eastleigh after being on loan at Blue Square Bet South side Dorchester Town. White had made 23 appearances scoring four goals this season for The Spitfires making him Eastleigh’s third top goalscorer behind Jamie Brown (5) and Jamie Slabber (9).
Ian Herring has joined his former club Evo-Stik Southern Premier League outfit Chippenham Town on a month loan and Eastleigh Australian young defender has moved back to Australia to focus on a university career.
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