Eastleigh were knocked out of the Hampshire Senior Cup after losing 9-8, to Hamble Club, on penalties, after a spirited and well balanced encounter.
A wide free-kick presented Eastleigh with the first chance of the match after great grit and determination by Malachi Dotse, who hustled the defender into giving away the dead ball situation.
Jamie Hosking fizzed in the resulting set piece, Bailey Honeysett hurdled his body towards the ball only for it to whistle above his head and whizz across the face of goal.
The game burst into life on the 17th minute, Eastleigh’s Tommy Scott saved the first shot on target, in the game, comfortably after a tame effort from Harvey Chouowdza, following a corner.
Within a blink of an eye, the rapid Jamie Hosking raced through on goal at the other end but a brave Henry Newman sprung out and stopped his advance with a smart piece of goalkeeping.
Dotse was in the thick of the action, the forward put on the after burners to leave his marker in the dust but Newman, was equal to his shot again.
This contest seemed like a game of Chess, each team trying to figure out what their opponent was doing at the start, but with time the match became more open and the chances kept flowing.
As the half-time whistle was approaching, Hamble created the most magical moment of the contest, thus far.
A clever and slick bounce pass presented the opportunity for the visitors to take the lead at the Silverlake, but Rattley’s shot didn’t match the build-up play as Scott gathered without a sweat.
Eastleigh continued to battle hard against a more experienced starting 11 and Chalwell towered above his marker to get a solid headed effort goal bound, but went straight down the goalkeeper’s throat.
At the start of the second half, Williams breezed past yellow shirts ands waltzed his way into a shooting position before Ethan Gee made a crucial bloke to steer the ball behind for a corner.
From the resulting set piece, Newman produced heroics for Hamble has he superbly denied the hosts from taking the lead, whilst flying through the Hampshire night sky.
The visitors started the second period the aggressors, flooding balls into Eastleigh’s box, having a handful of corners and keeping the young Spitfires pinned into their half.
Eastleigh grow back into the contest and were throwing punches of their own, Williams saw his snap shot fly over the top and Ieuan Turner could only direct his headed effort wide from six yards out, whilst under pressure.
Dotse will be amazed that he didn’t scored in this match, Newman’s highlight reel from tonight’s game will be an incredible watch.
His latest save involved having reflexes quicker than a cats, the ball rocketed towards his goal, from eight yards out, and his leg flung out to deny the Eastleigh Forward.
Minutes later, Newman had undone all of his hard work by conceding a soft penalty.
Chalwell raced through on goal whilst seeing a defender charge towards him, he cut the ball back perfectly as the defender could only see his marker tip toe pass him.
Chalwell skipped past the Hamble shot stopper but was brought down, having won the penalty the number 10 stepped up and very convincingly thumped home the penalty, which fired in from off the post.
The Spitfires were truly on top, creating chance after chance whilst playing free flowing football.
Against the run of play, defender James Johnson had other ideas as he leathered an effort from 25 yards, which flew past Scott and nearly ripped off the net in the process.
The visitors could have nicked it late on as Will Gance had a glorious opportunity, from six yards out, but got his timings all wrong as the ball sailed into the higher rows of the new Nuffield stand.
A goalkeeping masterclass was being displayed at each ends of the pitch, this time it was Scott as his outreached arms denied a last gasp winner for Hamble, with an incredible save.
After an enthralling encounter, the visitors won the penalty shoot-out 9-8, with Archie Gallagher missing the decisive spot kick.
SPITFIRES line-up – Scott (GK), Bagan, Gee, Honeysett, Webber 46′ (46′ Gallagher), Turner, Williams, Rogers 70′ (70′ Chavez Munoz), Dotse 90′ (90′ Finnigan), Chalwell, Hosking 84′ (84′ Downing).
Hamble Line-up – Newman, Paddington 90′ (90′ Yeomans), Johnson, Ghosh, Chouowdza 75′ (75′ Moore), Lynch, Roach, Casey, Gance, Douglas 63′ (63′ Barnes), Rattley.
Report by Jack Bunclark
