The Spitfires took flight with a goal in each half to send the Fleet spinning to defeat in Hampshire in the final league fixture under lights this season.
There was just the one starting tweak for the Fleet with Ben Chapman in for Aaron Cosgrave in an otherwise unchanged squad of 18.
After a slow start, Fleet could have been in front on 11 minutes from a set-piece. A free-kick was dropped inside the Eastleigh box by George Moncur and Josh Passley ghosted into space ahead of the defence but hit his volley over from eight yards.
Minutes later, Chapman attacked down the right and sent over a pacy cross that had Eastleigh in a tizz but Franklin Domi was just behind it as the home side cleared. From that, the Spitfires countered and Chris Maguire got his head to Noa Boutin’s inswinging delivery and Mark Cousins did ever so well to get down at his near post to block.
But the home side edged ahead on 18 minutes. A Ben Close free-kick into the box was nodded down by Lloyd Humphries and Niall Maher ran into space to head home the ball at the far post.
Eastleigh were looking to take full control at this point and Maguire used his head again to leap highest to a cross and the ball flew across goal, bounced at the far post and ran clear.
Humphries whipped in a delivery from distance on the half-hour that was at a dangerous height for Cousins who had to clutch that one before the onrushing Tyrese Shade could connect. Close then lived up to his name and went close from distance after Tom Dallison had headed away Boutin’s left-wing inswinger.
Boutin himself could have doubled the advantage three minutes later when Cousins pushed out Richard Brindley’s cross and the Eastleigh player had the goal to aim at but skewed his shot well wide.
Six minutes from the break, Fleet enjoyed a period of passing football – and Chapman got away on the counterattack in a move that ended with Domi’s shot that Joe McDonnell parried and gathered. An even better chance came 90 seconds later as Toby Edser slipped Moncur clear down the flank. He left the Spitfires defence for dead and crossed low to the far post where Domi was steaming in but he just couldn’t quite make contact.
It was a strong end to the half by the Fleet and Edser had McDonnell scrambling across his line to tip a low goalbound drive around his post.
Building on that, Fleet were first to enjoy an attack in the second-half, Moncur’s strong running from midfield again causing problems but he was on his own and couldn’t beat McDonnell with his shot.
Another Close free-kick towards Humphries on 53 minutes presented Eastleigh with another good chance and Dallison’s defensive header had to be bravely thwarted by his own goalkeeper as it inched towards the foot of the post.
Cousins was down again to Shade’s effort while at the other end McDonnell had to keep an eye on Fleet’s training-ground routine when Edser overran a free-kick and Moncur tried to sneak it through the wall.
Fleet were all set to make a double substitution when Eastleigh extended their lead on 64 minutes. Shade wriggled into space in the middle and played a short pass to Jake Taylor. The Spitfires skipper cut inside on to his opposite foot and curled a shot way out of Cousins’ reach into the top corner.
That goal pretty much killed the game as a contest although Edser had another good solo effort towards the end that forced a save from McDonnell who also clutched Kwame Thomas’s header to his chest.
EUFC: Cousins, Passley, Stewart, Dallison, Lankshear, Chapman (Page 65), Bolger (Thomas 55), Moncur (Bingham 84), Edser, Domi (Carr 70), Samuel (Cosgrave 65). Subs: Manktelow, Harriott
EFC: McDonnell, Brindley (Hodson 77), Boutin, Fernandez, Maher, Humphries, Close (Waruih 83), Taylor, Underhill, Maguire (McCallum 89), Shade. Subs: Panter, Ryan, Scott
Attendance: 2,090 (45 EUFC)
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