FA CUP heroes Eastleigh must make two enforced defensive changes for tomorrow's Vanarama National League revenge mission at Dover Athletic.

The Spitfires, still on a high from Saturday’s historic 1-0 Cup win a Crewe Alexandra, lost ex-Saints left-back Dan Harding to a calf injury with 20 minutes to go at Gresty Road.

Harding won’t play tomorrow as Eastleigh look for retribution for September’s 5-2 home defeat by Dover which prompted the end of Richard Hill’s three-year spell in charge. Neither will right-back Joe Partington who sits out a one-match suspension.

It’s barely seven weeks since that calamitous Dover game, but how things have changed for the Spitfires.

Under new boss Chris Todd they have lost just once in eight games and strung together an unbelievable sequence of results on the road including league wins at Wrexham and Tranmere and FA Cup glory rides to Bromley and Crewe.

Todd - who, along with Saturday's match-winner Ben Strevens, will be present at this evening's FA Cup second round draw in Chiswick - was typically modest about the transformation.

He said: “These things happen in football. There was just a lack of confidence in that period (leading up to the Dover defeat), but we’ve tweaked the team in certain ways and we’ve started to believe again and it spirals through the club.”

The management’s biggest challenge tomorrow will be to get the players focused on the league again after the highs of Crewe.

The promotion-hungry Spitfires are currently seventh, a point shy of the play-off zone and five adrift of third-placed Dover, whose own FA Cup exploits were halted 2-1 by Northern Premier underdogs Stourbridge.

“We’ve talked to the lads and we need to make sure we’re right tomorrow,” said Todd. “Regardless of the weekend, the league’s our bread and butter. Our main priority is to get this club into the Football League.”

Harding’s absence opens the door for fans’ favourite Michael Green. The sub played a key role defending Eastleigh’s lead on Saturday, making a crucial goalline clearance.

“Greener’s been chomping at the bit to play and this is his opportunity. He did very well when he came on at Crewe, but I didn’t expect any different from Greener,” said Todd. “He’s a good player and he did his job as he always does.”

Cup-tied wideman Matty Fanimo returns to the fold and Lee Cook is back in training after a steroid injection in his troublesome shoulder.

Dover ’keeper Mitch Walker misses tomorrow after being red-carded against Stourbridge. Andy Rafferty deputises. Jaydon Gibbs (back) and Liam Bellamy (knee) remain sidelined for the Kent club, while Nicky Deverdics (dead leg) is doubtful.