EASTLEIGH will open their doors free of charge to fans for tomorrow’s Vanarama Conference showdown with Forest Green Rovers (7.45pm).

And if Saturday’s 3-3 draw at Altrincham is any measure of their enter¬ tainment value, they are deserving of a packed house.

But while manager Richard Hill labelled his sides’s performance in Greater Manchester as “the best we’ve played this season”, he was con cerned his side had score three times simply to earn a point.

“I’m sensing a bit of a north-south divide in the officiating and it’s con¬ cerning me a bit that anything we get, we have to earn,” he said.

“I can’t speak for Dartford when they go up north, or Welling or Woking, I can only speak for us.

“And while I appreciate that some of our defending wasn’t great, I said to the referee at half-time that he wasn’t giving us our fair share of 50-50 decisions.

“The fact we had to score three goals just to draw indicates we were up against it a bit.”

Three times Eastleigh had to come back from behind at Moss Lane to bank their 15th point of the season.

All was well for the Spitfires when, five minutes after the livewire Damian Reeves had stabbed Alty into an 11th minute lead, Jai Reason floated a free kick into the home area, Jamie Collins steered it into the middle and defender Paul Reid rifled home the equaliser.

But it was the build-up to the Robins’ 32nd-minute second – an Adam Griffin wonder strike – that really got Hill’s goat.

“It was a good goal, a good finish, but just prior to it Jack Midson closed in on a short back pass to their ’keeper and had half a chance of getting to it and their centre-half has tripped him up,” said the Spitfires boss.

“The linesman’s gone to raise his flag and the referee’s gone to put the whistle to his mouth, so they must have sensed something was wrong, but they didn’t make a decision and Altrincham have gone up the other end and scored from the side where Jack would have been.

“I was so angry I booted a bag of balls which, unbeknown to me, wasn’t tied up and they went everywhere. I apologised to the ref and also to the players.

“It’s no good me telling the lads to keep their discipline and then losing mine.”

Two minutes before the break the pendulum swung back in Eastleigh’s direction, Michael Green raiding down the left and squaring for Craig McAllister to score.

The Spitfires fell into arrears for a third time just after the hour when Griffin’s accurate cross from the left was headed in by Reeves.

But Eastleigh’s response showed true character and no small amount of skill as, with 11 minutes remaining, Jai Reason conjured up a gem of an equaliser.

Ben Strevens took a quick free-kick and Collins found Reason on the left. The midfield playmaker exchanged passes with Green before riding a challenge and arching a sublime strike inside David Parton’s left-hand post.

“The referee did a bit better in the second half and, for our third goal, he allowed us to take a quick free-kick which I don’t think he’d have done in the first half, but that doesn’t even out the whole 90 minutes,” said Hill.

“It does concern me that we’re having to find a way amongst ourselves of treading on eggshells while also attempting to win games of football.

“But let’s not take away from our performance. It was some of the most controlled football we’ve played.

“When we went to breakfast in the morning several players – Greener, Spence, Collins, Fleets, Macca, Reason and Flitney – were all bunged up and full of cold and I was as well.

“It just goes to show the character of the lads. Altrincham’s a hard place to go and credit to them for coming back three times.

“I considered cancelling training (today) because so many lads are unwell, but we need to get a head count. Whether we actually train is another thing.”

Eastleigh: Ross Flitney, Dan Spence, Will Evans, Paul Reid, Michael Green, Jai Reason, Jamie Collins, Ben Strevens, Jack Midson (Yemi Odubade, 74), James Constable, Craig McAllister (Stuart Fleetwood, 73). Subs (not used) Josh Helm, Chris Todd, Matt Fry.

Referee: Darren England (Barnsley) Attendance: 945