IT wasn't meant to finish like this.

The stage had been set at the newly-named Silverlake Stadium with Saints legend Jason Dodd signing terms with Eastleigh prior to kick-off.

Youngsters greeted the players as a red and white balloon fanfare excited a bumper 3,260 crowd the Nationwide Conference South club's biggest ever revelling in a summer party atmosphere.

There was only one problem someone forgot to give the part-timers, who play four divisions below Saints in the football pyramid, the script.

If Eastleigh had received it, there was certainly no sign they had read it.

Neither had Saints goalkeeper Kevin Miller whose bizarre goal-keeping howler from Darren Wheeler's 40-yard free-kick ultimately gave Eastleigh victory.

The ambitious non-leaguers overturned their professional allies from the other side of the M27 2-1, and there were no qualms about the result.

In truth, this was just a pre-season friendly and the result matters little in light of the performance.

However, it was hard for Saints to find any solace from the way they played.

The over-riding feeling afterwards was one of egg-on-face.

l Saints had won this corresponding friendly 4-0 last year; l This was the first game of a new era with new directors Michael Wilde, Jim Hone, Lee Hoos, Mary Corbett and Leon Crouch looking on; l And George Burley fielded, on paper, a full strength first-team.

But there were positives in the performance of new strike signing Bradley Wright-Phillips and his well-taken equaliser.

New Argentinian midfielder Marcel Sarmiento looked composed.

Gareth Bale, meanwhile, continues to go from strength to strength at left back. It's hard to believe he only turned 17 yesterday, signing his first professional contract as a result.

Eastleigh, for their part, performed valiantly with ex-Scunthorpe goalkeeper Paul Musselwhite, the hugely-experienced 37-year-old veteran of over 700 professional games, pulling off three crucial stops.

Saints manager George Burley chose not to face the media afterwards with his number two Glynn Snodin left to put a brave face on events.

"We don't like losing but fitness is the most important thing at this stage," he said at his first post-match press conference since arriving at Saints in February.

"We had a great result against Bournemouth on Thursday (Saints won 4-0 behind closed doors) and we wanted to put it on here.

"But unfortunately it didn't happen today.

"Once we got the equaliser we though we might get four, five six. But credit to Eastleigh they've come here and worked hard.

"It is frustrating, but there's no good going too over board on it.

"There were positives like Bradley (Wright-Phillips)."

And as for Miller's blunder?

"It's one of them things," added Snodin. "We're glad it's happened here rather than at Derby in August.

"Hopefully he's got that out the way."

Eastleigh started the brighter with Danny Smith's effort flying over inside the first minute.

New Saints physio Andy Barr was called into action straight away.

Not to treat one of his own players, but instead assistant referee Andy Trivett who had turned his ankle.

The linesman managed to carry on although the majority of the crowd, who were supporting Saints, may have wished he hadn't.

Andrew Surman and Nathan Dyer got in some wild shooting practice before Eastleigh took a shock lead.

Miller was left rooted to the spot as Andy Forbes rose at the far post to meet Darren Wheeler's free-kick to loop a header into the net.

No sooner were Eastleigh in front than Saints equalised.

Ex-Dell trainee Chris Collins failed to deal with Miller's long clearance and Wright-Phillips raced through before neatly chipping the on-rushing Musselwhite.

In boiling hot conditions, the game went a little flat after that with Musselwhite again called into action to deny Wright-Phillips on 16 minutes and Bale on the half-hour mark.

Belmadi was brought on as a precautionary measure to replace the lively Dyer after just 20 minutes.

But with eight minutes on the first-half remaining, Eastleigh again took the lead.

Sarmiento brought down Steve Forbes just inside the Saints half.

From the resulting free-kick, Wheeler spotted Miller off his line and his 40-yard shot had the veteran keeper back-tracking.

Caught between whether to tip the ball over the bar or catch it, Miller could only juggle the ball over his head catching it at the second attempt.

By then, though, he and the ball had crossed the line.

Referee Dermot Gallagher consulted the now fully-fit Trivett and the goal was given.

Cue scenes of joy and mild embarrassment for Eastleigh and their supporters.

Wright-Phillips almost equalised for a second time but Musselwhite produced a superb one-handed save.

Miller didn't emerge for the second half with Michael Poke given a run-out in his place.

A string of substitutions followed for both sides as players began to wilt in the heat.

Gallagher changed his shirt from the red one that had clashed with Saints' new away strip in the first half, to a gold Saints training top for the second period.

But the game went flat as Saints failed to create any more real openings and Eastleigh's composed back four had an easier afternoon than they might have expected.

Poke was called in to action with two minutes remaining as a deflected Martin Cranie header threatened to give Eastleigh an even bigger margin of victory.

There is better to come from Saints of that there can be no doubt.

But the game's statisticians, and Eastleigh, will long remember this result.