Eastleigh were held to a 0-0 draw by fellow play-off candidates Boreham Wood at the LV Bet Stadium.

Charlie Carter had a chance to win the game at the death when he was teed up by Oscar Rutherford, but the midfielder could only pull his shot past the post.

It was a well-earned point for the Spitfires who could have lost the game if not for a dramatic double save from Joe McDonnell early in the second half.

The game burst into action on 20 minutes when Danny Whitehall latched onto a Brennan Camp header. He controlled the ball on his chest and volleyed it on goal all in one movement, only to be denied by the woodwork.

Christian Maghoma was called into defensive action minutes later to prevent Lee Ndlovu from firing past McDonnell from close range.

Whitehall went close again before Ousseynou Cissè used his height to climb highest in the box, but he could only turn Michael Kelly’s corner over the crossbar five minutes from the break.

The hosts were much improved in the second half and were denied a goal early in the second half by some heroic defending by the Spitfires.

Joe McDonnell stood firm and got down quickly to his side to prevent Ndlovu who had raced in behind the Eastleigh defence, Brennan Camp blocked the follow-up on the line before Ndlovu was once again denied by McDonnell.

The second-half continued without either side making a substitution until Boreham Wood shuffled their pack, replacing Zak Brunt with Josh Rees.

With eight minutes to go Whitehall sent a free-kick into the wall, the rebound fell for Camp who’s miscued shot found Rutherford who could only dead over.

Lee Bradbury made an attacking change in the final few minutes, bringing off Camp for Ryan Hill, in the hopes of scoring a late winner.

There was a great chance for Eastleigh to win the game at the death when Rutherford wriggled free of the Boreham Wood defenders and squared the ball for Carter, who, agonisingly, could only roll the ball past the far post.

Boreham Wood: Ashmore (C), Ilesamni, Broadbent, Ndlovu, Fyfield, Lewis, Payne, Brunt, Coxe, Bush, Agbontohoma

Subs: Kelly-Evans, Rickets, Rees, Marsh, Newton

Eastleigh FC: McDonnell, Camp, Kelly, Martin (C), Maghoma, Carter, Cissè, Whitehall, McKiernan, Rutherford, McDonagh

Subs: Hill, Harper, Lloyd, Bragg, Scrimshaw

Attendance: 1,339 (247 away)

Report by George Rees-Julian