Eastleigh up to second in National League after beating Torquay 3-2

UNBEATEN Eastleigh survived a heart-thumping finale to reel off their third straight win and rise to second in the Vanarama National League today.

Richard Hill made a trio of changes from Saturday’s Aldershot win, bringing in Lee Cook, Yemi Odubade and Josh Payne – and all three were on the scoresheet as the Spitfires opened up a seemingly unassailable 3-0 lead over Torquay United.

But two late Gulls goals got the butterflies fluttering among the 1,819 Silverlake crowd and, with the Spitfires struggling under a barrage of long throws from giant defender Exodus Geohaghon, there was relief all round when a rollercoaster contest ended 3-2 in Eastleigh’s favour.

Ex-Saint Dan Harding supplied the assist for the Spitfires' opener. With just over three minutes gone, the left-back picked out the lively Odubade who expertly slid the ball past Fabian Spiess in the Gulls goal.

James Constable headed over Cook’s cross from the left as Eastleigh searched for a second, but Hill looked none too happy four minutes later when Torquay’s on-loan AFC Bournemouth youngster Joe Quigley got the better of ex-Cherries full-back Joe Partington and it needed alert defending by Jamie Turley to clear the danger.

Partington did likewise to snuff out the threat of Courtney Richards, but Eastleigh broke quickly from the corner with Constable slipping the ball back to Payne who drove wide.

The Spitfires doubled their advantage on 29 minutes with ex-QPR winger Cook on target again after netting the late winner at Aldershot. Odubade played him in, Cook’s first shot was blocked and he buried it at the second attempt.

Eastleigh’s Jack Midson was booked for a foul on ex-Portsmouth wideman Dan Butler – a lively customer on the Gulls left – and as the dual continued Midson fouled his man twice more and was on his last warning from referee Mark Pottage.

Hill promptly withdrew his No12 on 40 minutes, sending on the experienced Ben Strevens.

Yemi Odubade celebrates his goal against Torquay. Pictures by Stuart Martin.

Torquay were looking more of a threat, particularly from Geoghaghon’s throws, and Eastleigh felt hard done by not to get a penalty when Constable went down under the close attentions of Nathan Smith. Constable’s next tangle with Smith brought a booking for the Eastleigh man, but the combative striker had the last laugh.

With 70 minutes gone he was fouled by Geoghaghon on the edge of the box and Payne stepped up to curl in an exquisite free kick for 3-0.

Torquay almost pulled one back eight minutes later when, from another long throw, Angus McDonald’s header hit the inside of the post.

But the woodwork couldn’t bail Eastleigh out on 83 minutes when Butler’s corner found the unmarked James Hurst to fire home.

Cook bent another effort over as the Gulls rallied and, remarkably, they pulled another one back in stoppage time when sub Alex Fisher got a touch to a Geohaghon throw.

With the pressure almost too much to bear for the home crowd, Geohaghon heaved the ball in one last time, Hurst headed on and sub Louis Bristow’s effort cleared the bar.

Geohaghon’s threat came as no surprise to Hill who revealed: “We said we needed to keep the ball on the pitch against Torquay and try not to give throw-ins away and we did that for all bar the last 15 minutes.

“It’s difficult to deal with and we even wondered if we’d be best to give a corner away.

“Give Torquay a bit of credit, they had a go and their formation was probably 2-4-4 at the end.

“But in a perverse way that was probably good for my lads. It’s all part of learning.

“When all’s said and done the whole object of the weekend was to get six points. End of.”

Eastleigh: Michael Poke, Joe Partington, Dan Harding, Josh Payne, Paul Reid, Jamie Turley, Andy Drury, James Constable, Jack Midson (Ben Strevens, 40), Yemi Odubade (Ross Lafayette, 76), Lee Cook (Jai Reason, 65). Subs (not used): Michael Green, Will Evans.

Referee: Mark Pottage

Attendance: 1,819