Eastleigh came through their first big home test of the week with flying colours tonight, beating Bath City 3-1 in front of a 525 Silverlake Stadium crowd.

It was their fifth home win out of seven this season – a welcome contrast to their dismal away form which has gleaned just four from a possible 21 points.

With another home match to come against Paul Doswell’s Sutton United on Saturday, manager Richard Hill had warned his players after Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at Eastbourne that he expected them to “work their nuts off to prove they want to play for Eastleigh.”

And judging by the urgency with which the Spitfires started last night’s game, his message has come through loud and clear.

Hill made two changes from the Eastbourne game with Mitchell Nelson replacing Tom Jordan and Moses Ademola in for Dale Binns.

With Damian Scannell on fire down the left, the Spitfires raced 2-0 up inside 17 minutes.

Scannell got the first with a left-foot strike from Craig McAllister’s flick and, four minutes later the compliment was returned.

Scannell crossed and, after his first effort had been clawed away by keeper Glyn Garner, McAllister buried the rebound.

McAllister went off injured in the 25th minute to be replaced by Binns and there was a further setback nine minutes later when Chris Allen replied for Bath after loan keeper Ross Flitney had parried Josh Low’s strike.

But on 40 minutes the two-goal cushion was restored when Ademola played in Jai Reason to fire home.