The Spitfires fans were treated to a Tuesday night triumph at the Silverlake Stadium as Eastleigh came from behind to win 5-2 against Maidstone United under the lights.
Lee Bradbury’s side turned the game around in the second by scoring four times after Gavin Hoyte was given his marching orders early in the second half.
It was a cagey opening 10-minutes at the Silverlake Stadium, as neither side really asserted their dominance.
Charlie Carter brought the game to life just minutes later after driving down the left-hand side, beating his man only for a Maidstone defender to slice his clearance centimeters wide of the post.
The deadlock was broken on the 16th minute as Carter once again created a yard of space to fashion a shooting opportunity, courtesy of a deflection it was Danny Whitehall who was left with an open net as the striker converted with a diving header.
Eastleigh were close to doubling their lead inside the first 20 minutes when an outstretched Ousseynou Cisse failed to connect with a teasing cross despite being unmarked in the box.
Against the run of play it was Maidstone who levelled the game on the 37th minute, Christie Pattisson opted to square the ball as Ryan Galvin coolly dispatched his effort.
Only 2 minutes later Maidstone took the lead after a corner was converted by Reiss Greenidge as he powerfully header his effort into the ground which found the bottom right-hand corner.
The half ended with a superb save by Joe McDonnell who denied a third Maidstone goal, Josh Fawole saw his attempt tipped onto the bar and cleared away by the Spitfires.
Eastleigh raced out of the traps in the second half winning a penalty inside 5 minutes, Abrahams’ legs were taken away from underneath him which left referee Sam Mulhall with no choice but to show a red card to Maidstone captain Gavin Hoyte.
The subsequent penalty was dispatched by the calmest guy in the stadium – Abrahams – who slotted his effort down the centre of the goal.
Maidstone – now down to 10 men – had to endure a long period of pressure to keep the scoreline level.
Harper turned the game on its head as he entered the field and put the Spits back in front just seconds later. After a low cross from the right flank, Harper was left to guide the ball into the corner putting his side ahead.
It remained one-way traffic in Eastleigh in the second half as Lee Bradbury’s side pushed for a two-goal advantage.
The Spitfires soon made it four on the night as Whitehall stabbed the ball across goal, on its way into the net Cisse got a touch and wheeled away to celebrate in front of the home fans with 18 minutes remaining in the match.
Ryan Hill watched his effort crash off the crossbar thanks to a deflection when he was left with acres of space inside the area.
There was still enough for a fifth as Eastleigh confirmed all three points at the Silverlake Stadium, as a Maidstone defender directed an effort into his own net after great combination build-up by the home side.
They almost added a sixth as the final whistle was about to be blown when Harper smashed it off the bar, just the wrong side of the goal line before Jake Hesketh flashed the rebound over the bar.
The result sees us in eighth place in the Vanarama National League level on points for the play-off places.
Eastleigh FC: McDonnell, Camp, Martin (c), Langston, Kelly, Cisse, Atangana (Hill 62’), Carter, Rutherford (Harper 62’), Whitehall, Abrahams (Hesketh 74’)
Report by Cameron Anderson-Jones
