Eastleigh plan to report referee Andy Williams to the FA after the Hereford official sensationally dismissed three Spitfires players and manager Paul Doswell in Saturday's stormy 3-1 defeat at Newport County.

Ex-Saints trio Francis Benali, David Hughes and Martin Thomas were all shown straight reds by Mr Williams, whom Doswell likened to a "prickly headmaster from a private school".

Hardman Benali was no angel during his professional days, but Doswell said: "He's never been sent off for dissent before and David Hughes has never been sent off before, full stop."

"The ref's sent three of our lads off for supposed foul and abusive language and yet he's sworn at our players himself and David Hughes threatened to report him to the police for something he (the referee) said after they'd accidentally collided."

Benali's red card came after just 11 minutes when he refused to respond to Mr Williams' beckoning finger after being pulled up for a foul on ex-Welsh international Jason Bowen.

Doswell claims the referee swore as he ordered Benali over and showed him a straight red when the experienced skipper stood his ground.

Four minutes earlier Craig Hughes had fired County ahead and the Welshmen struck again in the 21st minute, this time via a Bowen penalty awarded against Chris Collins.

By that time Doswell himself had been ordered from the dugout for comments made to the linesman. Worse was to follow in the second half when, having pulled a goal back through on-loan Weymouth striker Wayne Purser on his farewell appearance, Eastleigh had both Hughes and Thomas dismissed either side of another Craig Hughes' goal for Newport.

Referring to his own dismissal, Doswell said: "I told the linesman he was a busy t**t and he said call me that again and I'll flag.' I did and when the referee came over he said he'd abandon the game if I didn't leave.

"I told him to go ahead and abandon it, he'd be doing us and the crowd a favour and that I'd see him at the FA. The nice thing is that the Newport management and players are backing us. It was a long way to go to have our afternoon ruined."

Eastleigh travelled to South Wales with only 13 players having lost keeper Wayne Shaw to flu and loan midfielder Andy Harris to a calf strain.

Worryingly defender Robbie Marshall's knee reacted badly after a reserve team comeback and, to cap it all, Darren Wheeler's suspected dead leg turns out to be knee cartilage damage and on-loan Spitfire Liam Green injured his ankle playing for Dorchester.

Saturday's result leaves Eastleigh floundering sixth to bottom and Doswell confessed: "I can't see it getting better for some time. We've spent our playing budget, but over 35 per cent of it is going to people who can't play through injury."

A half-time blast from manager Ian Baird did wonders for Havant & Waterlooville, who toppled Histon from top spot with a remarkable 2-1 win at Westleigh Park.

After a poor first-half performance, punished by a Matthew Mitchell-King goal on 32 minutes, Hawks emerged a transformed side after the break and grabbed the points through Brett Poate and leading scorer Rocky Baptiste.

"We needed a bit of shaking up at half-time and that's what Ian Baird did to us," smiled former Saints Academy lad Poate.

Basingstoke boss Francis Vines was another to blow a half-time gasket, but it wasn't enough to ward off a 3-1 home defeat by Welling which leaves the Dragons next to bottom.

Stoke were 3-0 down to a Danny Kedwell brace and a Joe Dolan own goal after 36 minutes and replied through James Taylor midway through the second half.