Eastleigh 1
(Whitehall 33′ pen)
United 0
Despite a spirited performance on the road, ten-man United succumbed to a single-goal defeat at Eastleigh on Tuesday evening.
A converted penalty by Danny Whitehall in the 33rd minute was enough for Eastleigh to take all three points, and although The Gulls mounted a concerted effort to turn the game around in the second period, they were unable to respond, as they returned home from Hampshire pointless.
United Manager Gary Johnson named two changes in the starting line-up that fought back to draw against Altrincham on Saturday with Dillon De Silva and Mark Halstead returning in place of Rhys Lovett and the suspended Ross Marshall.
The home side enjoyed much possession inside the opening five minutes, and the first real chance of the game came in the 6th minute when JJ McKiernan picked up the ball just outside the United box on the right and fired his effort goal-ward, with Mark Halstead jumping up to his left to make the save.
Moments later Tristan Abrahams picked up on a loose ball inside the United penalty area and controlled the ball before driving low, with Halstead comfortably saving at the near-post.
Johnson’s men created a goal-scoring opportunity of their own in the 11th minute when a great cross by Dillon De Silva was too high for Aaron Jarvis, and just evaded Will Goodwin arriving beyond the far-post. Five minutes later, Scott Smith held the ball up well in the centre before opting to play to De Silva out on the left, who drove into the Eastleigh box before getting a low shot off which was saved by Joe McDonnell.
Five minutes later United threatened down the left once more. This time a Brett McGavin free kick was played short to Dean Moxey who found De Silva on the left flank, whose cross found Goodwin at the far-post, only for the striker to have his effort cleared off the line by Aaron Martin.
The hosts responded in the 26th minute after Jake Hesketh had a shot from the edge of the United box deflected just wide.
On 32 minutes the home side were awarded a penalty. Whitehall advanced into the box, before going to ground, with the referee deeming Chin Okoli to have fouled him. Eastleigh’s no.9 stepped up to convert, firing his penalty low and into the bottom right corner, 1-0.
Just moments after the restart United were down to ten men. After being booked early on, Jarvis was shown a second yellow card after an aerial challenge on Brennan Camp, leaving Torquay to do battle with a man deficit for a third successive match.
Despite the player deficit, Gary Johnson’s men continued to keep themselves in the game, with the scoreline remaining unalerted until the interval.
United began the second half brightly, and three minutes after the restart a link-up down the right between De Silva and Goodwin ended with the latter firing a low cross that was gathered by the Eastleigh ‘keeper.
Moments later Gary Johnson’s men advanced down the left with a long ball down the line being chased down by McGavin, with the midfielder nearly being played through, but an Eastleigh defender was just able to track back and get a foot on the ball to take it away from United’s no.14.
In the 56th minute a good run by Crowe resulted in a cross beyond the far-post, which was met by Tom Lapslie, whose header was gathered by McDonnell.
United continued to press and four minutes later Lapslie had a volley deflected just over, with appeals for a handball both on the pitch and by the Yellow Army fans situated behind the goal, waved away by the referee.
With the game at the three-quarter mark, Eastleigh began to up the ante in a bid to clinch the win. Charlie Carter drove into the left side of the United box before steering a low-driven effort just wide of the right-hand post.
Gary Johnson’s men continued to push for a leveller though, and in the 71st minute De Silva went close. The QPR loanee picked up the ball down the right before firing a right-footed cross into the box which curled towards the top corner, forcing McDonnell to palm over. United continued to press the Eastleigh defence, but with the home side putting numbers back, struggled to find a breakthrough.
With the match in injury time, Johnson’s men threw everything at their opponents in a bid to salvage a point. Asa Hall drove a low effort which looked to be heading goal-ward, only for it to be deflected behind. A number of corners followed but the Spitfires were able to clear their lines, and later on De Silva also had another shot deflected away from goal.
That was a close as it got for United, as Eastleigh held firm for a hard-fought three points.
Eastleigh FC: 1. Joe McDonnell, 2. Brennan Camp, 3. Michael Kelly, 5. Aaron Martin (c), 7. Charlie Carter (4. Nigel Atangana 77′), 9. Danny Whitehall (8. Ousseynou Cisse 65′), 10. Jake Hesketh (21. Oscar Rutherford 65′), 11. Ryan Hill, 12. George Langston, 14. Tristan Abrahams, 16. JJ. McKiernan.
SUBS NOT USED: 25. Brendan Willson, 30. Callum Ebanks.
Yellow Cards: Kelly 36′, Camp 84′, Abrahams 90+5′
United: 1. Mark Halstead, 2. Dylan Crowe, 8. Asa Hall (c), 9. Aaron Jarvis, 14. Brett McGavin (5. Ali Omar 81′), 16. Shaun Donnellan, 19. Will Goodwin, 21. Dean Moxey (23. Ollie Tomlinson 89′), 27. Dillon De Silva, 29. Chinwike Okoli, 36. Scott Smith (4. Tom Lapslie HT’).
SUBS NOT USED: 22. Rhys Lovett (GK).
Yellow Cards: Jarvis 2′, 34′, Lapslie 61′, Okoli 90+4′
Red Card: Jarvis 34′
Attendance: 2,175 (259 away)