Jordan bails Eastleigh out at the death

BRAINTREE TOWN v EASTLEIGH



SATURDAY 17th JANUARY 2009
Blue Square South

Report by Ray Murphy

It was sixteen days since either of these sides last took to the field and the opening forty-five minutes showed just that. Cressing Road Stadium has now seen the visit of Eastleigh four times and the hosts Braintree Town still wait to record their first home victory against The Spitfires.

Since their last outing Eastleigh have been rocked with the loss of striker Andy Forbes for the rest of the season and the latest addition to the injury list is Steve Clark who injured ankle ligaments in training forty eight hours earlier and first reports is that the versatile Clark will be out for four to six weeks. Add to that Luke Byles was left behind to appear for the second string, it was a much changed starting eleven to the one that may have been fielded with all players available.

Skipper Andy Harris was pushed forward into a central midfield role allowing Peter Adeniyi to switch to wide right to cover for Clark. Warren Goodhind returned to the side for his first start for some eight weeks. Trevor Challis returned at left back whilst loan signing from Brighton & Hove Albion Jonny Dixon made his debut the day after his twenty fifth birthday.

The game started brightly as Dixon evaded a couple of challenges on the edge of the box but his shot was then off target in the seventh minute, then two minutes later Lee Burns’ cross for Braintree flew across the six yard box with nobody able to add a finishing touch.

The game then developed into an affair of mistakes on both sides with neither being able to string moves together that would hurt either defence. On the half hour Jamie Brown was wide on the right flank and his miscued cross arrived some thirty yards out where Challis arrived to fire a shot that was just the wrong side of the post.

With thirty-seven minutes played a flick on from Brown found Dixon just inside the area and his low left footed drive went under goalkeeper Craig Holloway into the net but the ‘effort’ was disallowed as Dixon was adjudged to have used his hand in bringing the ball under control. At the opposite end Burns found himself in space on the edge of the box and his shot was also just off target with Jason Matthews rooted to the spot.

Eastleigh had an opportunity right on the interval to open the scoring. Challis’ cross was again flicked on by Brown and Dixon slipped the ball under the advancing Holloway but just the wrong side of the upright.

The second half saw a bit more enterprise. Braintree showed their intentions early on with striker Danny Hockton and Sean Marks causing concern to the Eastleigh rearguard. Within four minutes of the restart Hockton dropped the ball in behind the Eastleigh defence where Marks collected the ball but his shot was saved by the legs of Matthews.

Tom Jordan managed to produce a shot whilst in the area from an Eastleigh set piece on fifty two minutes but Holloway was equal to the effort. On fifty-seven minutes the home side went ahead. Former Eastleigh midfielder Chris Piper was having an inspired game in the Braintree midfield. An inch perfect pass from Piper in behind Jordan found Hockton who clipped the ball over the advancing Matthews and despite the effort of the recovering Jordan, could not prevent Braintree opening the scoring.

Tony Taggart had a free kick diverted off target minutes later and from the resultant corner Brown headed wide. Eastleigh threw more into attack, which was leaving shortages in defence. On sixty-six minutes another Piper through ball saw Challis slip allowing Hockton through on goal but his shot was pushed away by Matthews. Matthews had to quickly recover as the ball arrived for Gareth Williams to produce another goal bound effort, which again Matthews saved.

Matthews was in action again two minutes later producing another stop from a shot on the turn by Hockton. Eastleigh would not give up with their attempts at bringing the game back level. Dixon worked the ball back in the middle of the park allowing Matt Groves and Taggart to exchange passes before Groves' shot was saved by Holloway.

With time seemingly running out, it was the fourth minute of stoppage time that Eastleigh netted an equaliser. Dixon was the provider with a cross from the right flank that was headed into the net by Jordan for his fourth goal of the season.