EASTLEIGH are ready to throw young goalkeeper Jack Dovey back into the fray for tomorrow’s tricky home assignment against Welling United in the Blue Square Bet South.

The former Saints trainee has been taken out of the firing line for the past five games, making way for Gillingham loanee Ross Flitney.

But Flitney was recalled by his parent club earlier this week after the Gills’ first choice No1 Stuart Nelson saw red for a professional foul at Accrington.

Tommy Forecast, on a season-long loan to Gillingham from Saints, will fill Nelson’s gloves in the FA Cup second round at Preston tomorrow with Flitney travelling as cover.

At just 20, Dovey is still learning his trade, but Eastleigh boss Richard Hill is hoping he has benefited from working alongside 28-year-old Flitney and will rise to the challenge.

He said. “Jack is a good goalkeeper for his age, but he’s in a team with very high expectation and the pressure of that expectation has caught up with him a little bit.

“But I like Jack and that’s why he’s contracted for next season as well.

“He goes into Portsmouth two days a week with their goalkeeping coach John Keeley and I’m hoping he’s learning.”

Frustratingly for Eastleigh, they have been without a competitive game since November 17, but managed to fit in a friendly Romsey Town on Wednesday which they won 4-0.

Welling, in contrast, have had a packed schedule this week, dumping Conference National high-fliers Newport County out of the FA Trophy 2-0 last Saturday and climbing to second in the BSB South with Tuesday’s 5-2 defeat of Billericay.

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