Scannell crocked

By Wendy Gee - 

EASTLEIGH will almost certainly be without injured flair player Damian Scannell for what is left of the Blue Square Bet South season.

Scannell did not feature in yesterday's 0-0 stalemate at Weston-super-Mare having bowed out at half-time during Good Friday's home defeat by Dorchester.

"I don't think he'll play again this season," admitted manager Ian Baird.

"He picked up an ankle problem at Bromley four or five weeks ago and he's been playing with the injury.

"Damian wants to play, but he's not doing himself any favours. That's why we took him off on Friday."

Without Scannell, the Spitfires produced a solid if unspectacular performance against a Weston side who had won just one of their previous 13 league games.

The visitors' best chance came in the opening five minutes but on-loan Aldershot Town striker Bradley Bubb came off second  best in a one-on-one with the keeper.

Baird reflected: "The conditions were awful. It started off spitting with rain and steadily got worse.

"We stuck in there and it was a decent result. We needed that after being kicked in the proverbials against Dorchester."

For one awful moment, though, it looked as if history might repeat itself.

Having been undone by a late Gary Elphick own goal on Friday, Eastleigh again came close to conceding at the death - but this time Elphick was the hero.

"In injury time their lad's gone round our keeper Jack Dovey and Elphick's hooked it off the line," said Baird.

"But we were never under too much pressure. That was Weston's only real effort on goal.

"The lads stuck to the task well, but it wasn't the sort of performance that will bring the fans back.

"But we had a few supporters here today and fair play to them for travelling on such a horrible day."