Paul McCallum completed a hat-trick as the hosts came from behind to dash Fleet’s hopes after a promising start by the visitors, who lost Billy Clifford to a red card in time added on. There was a second brace in as many games for Darren McQueen but McCallum was the man with more to celebrate on full-time.
Dennis Kutrieb was able to name an unchange starting eleven for the first time this season with the only change from Saturday on the bench as Nathan Odokonyero was out for Omari Sterling-James.
McQueen put on a man-of-the-match performance on Saturday and he continued in that form as he found the back of the net in the eighth minute. A great attacking display from the Fleet saw Ben Chapman pull a ball to McQueen, who was in close range of goal. And his accurate shot across goal into the corner sent the Fleet in front.
There was plenty of attacking pressure from the Fleet who had bright showings from Luke O’Neill and Chapman, with Chris Solly pulling the strings deep in midfield. But against the run of play, Eastleigh responded out of nothing. A free-kick delivery from Chris Maguire found the head of McCallum in the box whose low head caught Cousins out to level the scores.
Play evened out after that with both sides breaking through on goal, creating half chances along the way, though Fleet were still the brighter of the two sides. McQueen had a couple of close efforts, one in particular as he received a pass from O’Neill and his shot was inches wide of the far post, taking a touch off David Amoo on its way.
McCallum doubled the hosts’ advantage, again against the run of play, as the hosts sent a ball deep across the Fleet box. McCallum scrambled his first chance with Scott Quigley picking up the pieces and McCallum sending the ball back on goal. Cousins attempted to clear off his goalline with the ball pinging clear but the referee’s assistant was in a good position along the byline to determine that it had crossed the line.
Quigley nearly earned a third for Eastleigh when he found himself through on goal as he got a fortunate bounce on the ball and wrestled off Haydn Hollis, but his shot was well over. McQueen exchanged a short one-two in the opposite box but could only find the goalkeeper as Fleet tried to register the second goal their efforts had deserved.
The Spitfires didn’t let anything slip in the second-half, however. They secured their third of the evening when Maguire slipped a ball wide of the Fleet defence into the path of Quigley. He kept his head to carry the ball clear of Cousins to slot home.
The Fleet almost clawed a goal back with McQueen through on goal but the ball just skimmed past him and Eastleigh cleared. Despite the Fleet knocking on the door for a second, the hosts capitalised and found their fourth. Another great link-up between Quigley and McCallum saw a cross to the far post for the striker to power home his hat-trick ahead of White.
Quigley almost bagged a brace for himself with a long-range strike but that pounded off the woodwork. The Fleet did find a consolation goal courtesy of McQueen, who ran on to a neat Clifford split pass and fired home but any thoughts of a comeback were dashed when Hollis tangled with Enzio Boldewijn to concede a somewhat soft penalty and Maguire fired it home.
Clifford was then issued his marching orders for kicking out at a defender in the Eastleigh box before the referee called time on the evening.
EUFC: Cousins, O’Neill, White, Hollis, Solly, Domi, Wright (Clifford 68), Cissé, Chapman (Edser 85), McQueen, Amoo (Coulthirst 80). Subs: Sterling-James, Tanne
EFC: McDonnell, Atangana (Taylor 45), Francillette, McCallum, Boldewijn, Langston, Rendall, Nwabuokei, Maguire, Clements, Quigley. Subs: Scott, Carter, Barlow, Rutherford
Attendance: 1,542
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