Forbes treble but only 1 point

Report by Ray Murphy


22nd October 2006
Conference South


Weston Super Mare 3 Eastleigh 3

An afternoon of fluctuating fortunes for both sides, both on the park and on the weather scene. From shielding your eyes in the blazing sunlight to hiding from the torrential rain, Eastleigh led three times before finally having to concede two points away from home.

For only the second time this season, Eastleigh netted more than one goal in a league fixture, but shortcomings on the defensive side of their game at the moment only saw the side pick up one point. Pete Castle came into the side for his debut whilst Steve West was given a central strikers role, one he was used to before being switched to a defender, but he led the Eastleigh line well at Weston. David Hughes also returned to the side following suspension. Bertie Brayley, Adam James and Liam Green making way from the sides previous game with Salisbury.

The afternoon started well. Only five minutes had been played when Jamie Brown won a challenge in the middle of the park, the ball falling for Andy Forbes to send a dipping drop shot from fully twenty-five yards over Weston goalkeeper Ryan Northmere for the opening goal of the game.

A minute later and Eastleigh had almost netted again. Brown again the creator with a right wing cross from which Forbes headed over.

The home sides first attack of note came on thirteen minutes. The dangerous Marvin Brown saw a low shot down to Wayne Shaw’s left hand pushed away by the Eastleigh ‘keeper. Eastleigh returned to the ascendancy and four minutes later Northmere saved a low Danny Smith effort.

Eastleigh were pulled back for the first time midway through the opening half. Marc McGregor skipped past Rob Marshall on the left wing, reached the bye line before firing a low cross through the six-yard box arriving at the far post where Mike Wilce rifled home the equaliser.

The Spitfires did not let the set back unsettle them, straight away they were back at their hosts. Forbes teased the Weston full back and then sent in a low left foot drive that was scrambled away by Northmere. Craig Loxton gave the ball away in the middle of the park and allowed West to intelligently played the ball on for Forbes but he dragged his shot wide of the target.

Weston’s response was a dipping volley from Gareth Hopkins with Shaw off his line that just went over the bar. With twenty-nine minutes played Eastleigh were back in front. Hughes lofted a free kick into Forbes who volleyed Eastleigh ahead from just inside the penalty area.

Four minutes later West headed another Hughes free kick just wide of the target then both Smith and Brown were thwarted by Northmere stops. As Eastleigh finished the half on the attack, another Forbes attempt was saved by the feet of Northmere and Andy Harris fired a shot just over the bar. Forbes also had the ball in the back of the net again but his 'effort' was disallowed for offside.

For some reason Eastleigh could not find the same tempo they had shown in the first half for the start of the second period. They were on the back foot from the off, an early weak shot from McGregor was saved by Shaw. A brief Eastleigh respite saw a Rob Marshall throw headed goal wards by Brown but Northmere saved. As Weston took the game to Eastleigh, home skipper Lee Jarman shot wide from the edge of the box. On fifty-three minutes the home side did get an equaliser. Darren Hawkins sent a cross into the box from the right that was charged down by Hughes from which the referee and his assistant adjudged to have been worthy of a penalty award for handball against Hughes. McGregor sent Shaw the wrong way from the spot kick.

The goal seemed to spur Eastleigh. Two minutes following the goal Hughes' free kick was half cleared, the ball arrived for Brown who thundered a shot past Nothmere but the shot struck the post and went away to safety. A minute later a turn and shot from Forbes was again saved by Northmere. Brown was celebrating on fifty-eight minutes having seemingly put The Spitfires ahead again but for the second time of the afternoon an assistant’s flag was ruling out the award for an offside decision.

On the hour Shaw was penalised for handball outside the area, which saw both him and Weston striker Hopkins cautioned, from the resultant free kick Shaw produced a stop from Craig Rand.

Forbes though was on fire and grabbed his hat trick in the sixty fourth minute. Eastleigh broke away on a counter attack and an excellent ball from Hughes in behind the two Weston centre backs saw Forbes accelerate on to the ball before cracking home his third goal of the afternoon.

The cavalier approach from both sides that had been shown all afternoon showed no sign of changing. On seventy-six minutes West headed a Harris cross wide of the target whilst a minute later at the opposite end Hopkins drilled a shot wide.

With seven minutes remaining a free kick from Loxton was collected by Marvin Brown who controlled the ball before turning and firing an equaliser past Shaw. The best chance for the remainder of the match saw Shaw having to produce a last ditch tackle to prevent Hopkins a shot on goal after a short back pass had been played to him.