Brown: It's good to be back

By Wendy Gee -

JAMIE Brown says the time he spent away from Eastleigh last season made him appreciate how much playing Conference South football means to him.

After four whole-hearted years' service at the Silverlake Stadium, the diehard frontman/midfielder had his contract terminated by mutual consent in December 2010 following a two-week ban for a breach of club discipline.

Brown spent a couple of months playing for Winchester City, but felt like a fish out of water in the Wessex League and made an unexpected return to Stoneham Lane towards the end of March.

His name was then included on a list of nine senior players released as the club underwent major summer changes following their failure to reach the Blue Square Bet South play-offs.

But the 30-year-old came bouncing back like the proverbial rubber ball in pre-season and is now one of the wise 'old' heads steering Eastleigh's new-look side through a testing start to the campaign.

"I had a couple of months off from Eastleigh which put me in good stead because it made me realise how much I want to play at this level," said Brown, who - barring his City break - has plied his trade in the Conference South ever since leaving BAT Sports as a teenager.

Prior to joining Eastleigh for a four-figure sum in September 2006, he scored 34 goals in 216 appearances for league rivals Dorchester Town.

Without the likes of the wily campaigners Anthony Riviere, Tony Taggart and Peter Adeniyi, Eastleigh's class of 2011/12 lacks experience of years gone by.

A new, young, full-time element has been introduced in the shape of Andrew White, ex-Saint Jordace Holder-Spooner, Billy Tsovolos, Ben Wilson, Aldershot loanee Henrik Breimyr and 16-year-old bright spark Sam Wilson who was on trial at Premier League outfit Fulham last week.

"I enjoy playing with these lads," said Brown. "They're young, but they're better footballers than I will ever be!

"We've got no 'big time' players here. The young ones all listen to the older lads, which is good.

"I believe we've got a decent squad here and we're capable of finishing mid-table if we can play like we did away at Sutton.

"Like Bairdy (manager Ian Baird) had said to us, we've not got any cliques here and the team spirit is really good.

"It's not about full-time and part-time players, it's about being a team.

"As long as the spirit is there, I believe we won't go too far wrong."

Although Eastleigh weren't at their best in their last league game, they picked up three priceless points in a 2-1 home win over Staines Town.

Brown bagged the 25th-minute winner, reacting quickest after Holder-Spooner's firm shot had been spilled by goalkeeper Louis Wells at his near post.

"We were good in the first half even though we conceded a sloppy early goal, but we were rubbish in the second half," said Brown.

"To play badly and still win is good, but we've got to try and find a happy medium.

"We're not starting games well.

"For 15 minutes or so we look lethargic, as if we haven't got any confidence and we don't want to be there.

"Everyone's got to keep talking to each other. We need all 11 players pulling together. We can't afford one person to have an off-day."