Baird salutes Brett power (From Daily Echo)

Baird salutes Brett power

5:55pm Monday 16th August 2010 in

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IF super-sub Brett Williams continues to perform as he did on Saturday, Eastleigh will surely be looking to take the 22-year-old loan striker back from AFC Totton permanently.

On an afternoon when the result was far more deflating than the Spitfires’ performance, Williams provided the silver lining to an ill-deserved 2-1 opening day defeat by Bishop’s Stortford in the Blue Square Bet South.

Despite creating a wealth of chances with a new-look side bolstered by five summer signings, Eastleigh were dependent on borrowed addition Williams – a player they sold to Totton for a four-figure sum last season – to get the breakthrough they so richly deserved.

And what a goal it was!

Pitted against Stortford’s man mountain goalkeeper Nicky Morgan, who had a brief spell at the Silverlake two seasons ago, Williams bravely out-jumped the 6ft 5in titan to head home Richard Graham’s cross.

But unfortunately for Eastleigh, they came off second best in a hectic five-minute spell of goalscoring action which would decide the outcome of the game.

“As I said to the players afterwards, it was like pressing rewind of a DVD from last season,” said Eastleigh boss Ian Baird. “It was like so many games last year when we had about nine clear-cut chances but didn’t take them.

“Ironically the goal we did score, a fabulous effort by Brett, was probably the most difficult.

“For him to out-jump a 6ft 5in goalkeeper was phenomenal. “We had plenty of other chances, but we’ve cut our own throats again.

“Like they say, goals change games and if you don’t score while you’re on top, it gives the other side belief."

Eastleigh make their first away trip of the season to Dorchester Town tomorrow (Tuesday, 7.45pm).