Baird will focus on own targets

By Wendy Gee - 

IAN Baird says people are way off beam if they think Eastleigh will try and get their arch-rivals Havant & Waterlooville relegated tomorrow.

With the Spitfires due to complete their Blue Square Bet South campaign at third-to-bottom Maidenhead United, cynics have been chewing over the notion that they might deliberately lose in the hope of sending Havant down.

The Westleigh Park club are just one point above the drop zone and could be heading back to the Southern League if they slip up at home to Staines Town and Maidenhead and/or Hampton & Richmond Borough win.

But even if Baird did wish relegation on the clubhe used to manage - which he doesn't - he knows it's in his and Eastleigh's best interests to end the season on a high.

"People have been saying that maybe we'll lie down tomorrow, try and help Maidenhead and finish off Havant - but that won't happen," he insisted.

"I was set a points target for the season which we should have reached already, but we haven't.

"We've taken eight out of the last 15 points, so I need the points tomorrow.

"Although we've only won one of the last four, we've only conceded twice - one penalty and one own goal."

Eastleigh will be without injured duo Chris Flood and Damian Scannell and the suspended Jamie Brown, Mitchell Nelson (dead leg) and Phil Appiah (ankle) are doubtful.

Disappointingly, two of the four youth graduates offered two-year contracts by Eastleigh have turned them down. Ben Wilson and Matt Gray have decided to leave.

Only Callum Casson has accepted the deal, while defender Will Aimson's on-off scholarship at Hull City is likely to go through this week.

"The club offered two-year deals and decent remuneration and we're extremely disappointed that Ben and Matt have turned it down," said Baird. "They obviously have their own reasons and we wish them well."