Two goals from Paul McCallum helped seal a comfortable 3-1 win for the Spitfires against York City at the Silverlake Stadium.
Chris Maguire opened the scoring shortly after the half hour mark, with a screamer from 25-yards out to put Eastleigh ahead.
McCallum doubled the lead on the hour mark, before the visitors pulled one back a few minutes later from Callum Howe’s header.
McCallum had the final say though, when his close-range header with just under 15 minutes remaining secured all three points for Eastleigh.
Eastleigh’s first chance of the match came in the 8th minute, when Enzio Boldewijn jinked his way past the York defenders on the right-hand side, before playing the ball to Scott Quigley, who teed up Jake Taylor before his effort deflected wide.
Eight minutes later, a lovely ball from Jayden Harris set Boldewijn free again on the right; the Dutchman played a perfect pass for McCallum who spurned a glorious chance by firing over the bar from close range.
A minute later, Maguire blasted over from distance, as the hosts began to create opportunities.
York’s first chance of note came in the 25th minute, as a low cross from Ryan Fallowfield found Kai Kennedy, who couldn’t keep his effort down as it sailed over the bar.
The deadlock was broken in the 33rd minute, a superb ball by found Maguire in space on the left-hand side, before he unleashed an unstoppable effort into the top right-hand corner to give the hosts a deserved lead.
With little goal threat from either side following the opener, the Spitfires took a 1-0 lead into the break.
Early in the second half, Kennedy poked a ball through to Fallowfield, who drilled the ball into the box before George Langston calmly cleared away from danger.
Shortly afterwards, Tyler Cordner headed over the bar from a corner, as the visitors continued to push for an equaliser.
Just after the hour mark, the game burst into life, with both sides finding the net within a matter of minutes.
A header sent McCallum racing through one-on-one with the goalkeeper and there was only ever going to be one outcome, as he coolly slotted past Rory Watson to double Eastleigh’s advantage.
York responded quickly though, when Howe guided in a header from Scott Burgess’ free-kick to set up a tense final 25 minutes.
The hosts could have put the game to bed three minutes later, as McCallum flashed a header narrowly wide from a corner.
They almost paid the price for that miss when Fallowfield played in a teasing cross from the right-hand side once again, but substitute Aiden Marsh failed to convert from close range.
Ludwig Francillette then headed just wide from a corner as the Spitfires continued to look for a third goal.
That goal finally came when McCallum got his second of the afternoon after he bundled in a header from close-range to all but seal the win for the hosts.
The visitors nearly grabbed a consolation goal when Cordner headed just wide late on and Lenell John-Lewis’ header was disallowed for offside.
It was too little, too late for York, as the hosts claimed all three points on the afternoon.
Eastleigh: McDonnell, Francillette, Taylor (c), McCallum, Boldewijn, Langston, Maguire, Clements, Panter, Quigley, Harris (75)
Subs: Scott, Atangana (75), Barlow, Rutherford, Chalwell
York City: Watson, Fallowfield, Crookes, Cordner, McLaughlin, John-Lewis (c), Howe, Burgess (63), Kennedy, Woodyard, Smith
Subs: Whitley, Dyson, Castro, Hancox, Marsh (63)
Report by Tom Humphrey
