Match Report

A monstrous performance from home goalkeeper Joe McDonnell ensured it would be a point apiece on Bank Holiday Monday, with the U’s ending Eastleigh’s four-match winning run thanks to Eduino Vaz’s early stunner.

The Guinea-Bissauan broke the deadlock after 14 minutes when he bent an inch perfect effort past McDonnell and into the top corner, but his opener was cancelled out shortly before the break when Paul McCallum headed Eastleigh level on his return from injury, following some good work from Scott Quigley.

The Spitfires would grow into the game during the second half with Steve Arnold producing a couple of crucial saves to deny Lloyd Humphries and Tyrese Shade, before some incredible work from the Spitfires backline kept the U’s at bay from three successive corners at the death, and was ultimately enough to secure a share of the spoils.

A point at the Silverlake Stadium sees the U’s continue their unbeaten start to the season and leave Hampshire third in the Vanarama National League table, with the visit of fellow relegated side Forest Green Rovers up next on Saturday, 31^st August, live on DAZN.

Steve Morison made six changes to the side that drew against York City last time out, including first starts for Matt Rush and Jack Wadham following their arrivals in South London this summer, while Harry Ransom, Vaz, Siju Odelusi and Ashley Nadesan also came into the side with just one day separating Sutton’s last encounter.

The U’s made a positive start to proceedings and looked more comfortable during the opening stages. It took nine minutes for the visitors to produce their first real opening, with the ball falling to Odelusi just inside the penalty area, who took aim with a cute side-footed effort that was comfortable for McDonnell.

This was followed by another close call moments later, with Vaz’s dangerous cross towards Nadesan requiring a last-ditch intervention to put it out for a corner and deny the U’s loanee a free header.

The young left back would soon turn from provider to scorer though, giving the U’s the lead in outrageous fashion. After picking up the ball just on the edge of the box, Vaz pulled the trigger and curled a sweetly stuck effort into the top corner to open his Sutton account.

Morison’s men subsequently continued their momentum, with Josh Coley finding Rush in space in the penalty area, with the former Maidstone United man firing just over the crossbar via a deflection.

This preceded another opening for the U’s with Odelusi once again having the chance to score at the Silverlake Stadium as he sent Vaz’s cross well off target.

Jai Semenyo would go close for the hosts when his cross almost dipped under the crossbar as Eastleigh searched for a way back into the game, but the U’s continued to dominate proceedings though and went close again when Finley Barbrook’s cross was knocked back into the path of Coley, who took aim to send a fierce first time volley into the midriff of an Eastleigh player, shortly before Barbrook fired a tame volley of his own just wide.

Eastleigh did soon find an equaliser though, with Quigley finding space on the right flank to send an inch perfect cross into the path of McCallum, who sent a bullet header past Arnold to send the Spitfires into the break level.

The hosts would be the first to create an opportunity after the restart with Jake Vokins heading the ball into McCallum’s path who was unable to connect.

The U’s would respond swiftly, with Barbrook having an effort from distance blocked into the path of Hayden Muller, who spread the ball out to the right flank where Nadesan was waiting to send in a delivery which was too close to McDonnell, having taken up a new role at the end of the first half when Will Davies had to replace Rush due to a head injury.

Eastleigh would begin to grow into the game though, and quickly started to take control. Humphries would have a couple of shots in quick succession, seeing his first blocked before Arnold produced a brilliant parry to send his second attempt wide.

This would be followed by an excellent chance for substitute Shade just minutes later, failing to control a long ball from deep before getting the desired contact at the second attempt, and forcing Arnold into a good save once more.

This preceded a moment of controversy, with Tyler French going down in the box under a challenge from Vokins, which referee Sam Mulhall waved away. With Eastleigh subsequently in sixes and sevens, this allowed Davies to find space in the box to test McDonnell once again, with his effort towards the bottom corner being pushed away.

Although Eastleigh would enjoy the better of things for much of the second half, the U’s would restore a bit of control as the clock ticked towards 90, with a couple of crosses being too close to McDonnell before Davies looked to thread a ball through to Barbrook, with McDonnell again alert to thwart the visitors as he reacted quickly to smother the ball.

The U’s would go close once more, as substitute Charlie Waller met Nadesan’s cross following a free kick with Spitfires skipper Jake Taylor making a crucial intervention, and the hosts would go up the other end with Harry Ransom producing a goal saving clearance, with his diving header preventing McCallum from reaching the ball in the nick of time.

A couple of glorious openings would fall to each side at the death though, with Shade leading a counter attack that ended with Vokins sliding the ball across the face of goal with no one to get on the end of it, shortly before substitute Jeremy Sivi fired well over the crossbar.

The U’s thought they won it with seconds to go, however, with a succession of corners seeing Waller denied by the crossbar and French denied by a wonderful save from McDonnell, before Eastleigh somehow got it clear at the third attempt to seal a point.

Eastleigh: J McDonnell; J Semenyo (sub L Hodson 57′), L Humphries, L Francillette, N Maher (sub C Panter 71′), J Vokins; C Maguire, A Waruih, J Taylor; P McCallum, S Quigley (sub T Shade 57′)

Referee: Sam Mulhall