EASTLEIGH boss Kelvin Davis labelled the 1-0 win over Woking as "dirty" but insisted it was important to come away with the three points.

Midfielder Solomon Nwabuokei struck midway through the first half for the visitors, heading home a corner at the far post to move the Spitfires six points clear of the relegation zone.

The result moves Eastleigh up to 15th in the National League and the bonus of a clean sheet is of added importance to the former Saints goalkeeper.

Speaking to club media after the win, Davis was particularly pleased with the defensive display as well as the improvement on set pieces.

He claimed: "It was a dirty 1-0 win. It was a scrap. We said after the game that we knew what it would be, having looked at their stuff. It was all about the result, we came for the result.

"We spoke before the game that it was about coming away with a win and returning to the right path with a few more points. It puts us in a better position than before the game.

"There is a bit of a change of mentality going into games with the clean sheet.  If you keep clean sheets, you always have a chance of winning the game.

"We work hard on our set pieces. Butts (assistant Danny Butterfield) has done a great job of focusing the lads on them.

"A 1-0 win with a set-piece goal when we are in the position we’re in is massively important for us."

In a double transfer announcement on Friday, Eastleigh confirmed the loan signings of Saints pair Jake Vokins and Will Merry until the end of the season.

Vokins was put straight into the starting line-up and produced a solid showing to help the Spitfires earn their first win since the 2-0 victory over Bromley on February 24.

Davis believes the former England under-19 international "got stronger" as the match went on and played an important role in the clean sheet.

"When you come from a higher level it can be difficult because it is almost a different game at times," Davis added.

"Vokes got stronger as the game went on. He made a couple of important challenges towards the end of the game.

"There are different parts of the game that you’ve got to be able to handle. I thought he handled it well.

"He gave us a little bit of pace going forward as well in moments which helps. In those moments, it helped us with the clean sheet."

The Spitfires host another of the sides who are looking over their shoulders just above the relegation places, Maidenhead United, on Easter Monday.