EASTLEIGH 2 SUTTON UNITED 1

TWO Luke Coulson goals in three second-half minutes kept Eastleigh’s Vanarama National League promotion push on track with a dramatic 2-1 win over Sutton United this afternoon.

But the Eastleigh No15 found himself overshadowed by a remarkable performance from the Spitfires’ debut-making goalkeeper Ryan Clarke who rescued his side with a string of high-quality saves – including one from the penalty spot – as Ronnie Moore’s men held on for three precious points.

The Spitfires welcomed back not one, but two, former managers in the Sutton dugout with Paul Dowell, the man who laid the foundations for their fairytale rise up the non-League pyramid, joined by head coach Ian Baird who preceded Richard Hill as Eastleigh boss.

Us’ goalkeeping coach Wayne Shaw was another familiar face making a Silverlake return, along with Sutton skipper Jamie Collins, highly-rated winger Dan Wishart and sub Dan Spence.

The big team news for Eastleigh was the immediate inclusion of new signing Clarke in goal and Ross Flitney, the man he replaced, not even named in the 16. This week’s other high-profile arrival, 41-year-old Football League goal machine Jamie Cureton, was named on the bench.

There was a hint of early nerves from Eastleigh with Ryan Cresswell’s slightly wayward back pass forcing a hurried clearance from Clarke then, just as they were settling, the game was held up due to a broken corner flag pole.

Much to the amusement of Eastleigh’s noisy band of supporters behind the Sutton goal, it was their 63-year-old boss Ronnie Moore who trotted along the touchline to replace it.

From the restart there was another little heart-in-the-mouth moment in the home defence when Wishart’s driven cross from the left went right under skipper Cresswell but, thankfully, there was no yellow shirt on the end of it.

Sensing a bit of early shakiness from the hosts, Us’ livewire Roarie Deacon shot over from distance and then darted to the byline and unleashed a cross which just cleared Bedsente Gomis’s head.

It took the Spitfires 15 minutes to pose a threat after Joe Partington had been fouled on the right. Jake Howells squared the free-kick to Luke Coulson whose first-time delivery found Mikael Mandron who headed wide of the far post.

They forced their first corner five minutes later which was played short to Jai Reason, but his driven cross was cleared at the near post in what had thus far been a bit of a stuttering, untidy affair.

Doswell’s newly-promoted Sutton, though, continued to pose problems with their pace and two left-wing crosses from Wishart – a former Eastleigh loanee from Alfreton – put the Spitfires under intense pressure with the half-hour mark approaching, the first rearing up off the diving body of Clarke, who just about got it to safety, and the second headed behind by Partington via the top netting.

Just when Eastleigh were showing signs of promise with Coulson threatening to burst through the left channel, Simon Downer’s handball stopped them in their tracks and Coulson’s free-kick bypassed a cluster of bodies and bounced wide of Ross Worner’s left-hand post.

The Spitfires best chance by far arrived on 42 minutes, beginning when Downer’s loose pass out of defence was charged down by James Constable. Momentarily there was mayhem in the Us’ area as Eastleigh probed for the right opening – Constable finally finding Howells on the left who drove a venomous, low effort inches wide of the far post.

Half-time: Eastleigh 0 Sutton Utd 0

The second half had barely got going when Craig Eastmond won a 50-50 ball with Coulson on Eastleigh’s right and send Maxime Biamou on his way. Clarke intervened and the Us’ No24 came off worse as they came together, leaving him requiring treatment.

But just when it looked like things would never get going for Eastleigh, two Luke Coulson goals in three sensational minutes sent the 2,853 crowd into ecstacy.

With 48 minutes gone Constable deftly played in Howells down the left and he picked out the run of Coulson who coolly slotted it home from inside the area.

That was like a light-bulb switching on for the Spitfires who, in the blink of an eye, found themselves 2-0 up.

Coulson, preferred to Adam Dawson in the starting line-up, was again calmness personified as he surged at the Sutton defence, looked up on arrival at the edge of the box and drilled a low shot beyond the despairing Worner for his third goal in two games.

Saves followed at either end with Clarke doing superbly to deal with Eastmond’s deflected piledriver and, likewise, Worner who turned over a brilliantly engineered Mandron effort.

Any early nerves debutant keeper Clarke may have been feeling were well and truly banished in the second half and, on 67 minutes, he pulled off a save of the highest order to prevent Sutton halving the deficit.

Constable gave away a free kick on Sutton’s right at the expense of a booking, Wishart curled the ball in and Simon Downer got the deftest of touches, forcing Clarke to miraculously push the ball onto the crossbar.

With the visitors flooding forward, it again looked for all the world as if they would score on 75 minutes but yet another breath-taking save by Clarke came to the rescue as he stuck up a strong arm to push sub Bradley Hudson-Oldoi’s bullet shot over.

As scrappy as the first half was, the second half was absolutely gripping and Eastleigh were the next to threaten when Partington persistence took him into the Sutton box but, as defenders stood helplessly staring, his shot cleared both goalkeeper and bar from 15 yards.

Another goal looked imminent and it was Sutton who got it on 82 minutes – Clarke denied a clean sheet when sub Ross Stearn let fly from distance and found the bottom corner.

That well and truly fired up the visitors and they threw the kitchen sink at Eastleigh and earned themselves a penalty on 84 minutes.

Having just saved his side with a last-ditch block, Partington was a picture of despair as he was pulled up for handball.

But on a fairytale afternoon for new boy Clarke, he guessed right, diving to his right to keep out Gomis’s spot kick by the foot of the post.

Still the danger hadn’t passed for Eastleigh, though, with Sutton laying siege to the home goal.

The four minutes of stoppage time made excruciating viewing for home fans as Stearn put a free header wide and the heroic Clarke went in where it hurts to save amid a goalmouth scramble.