Goals by Toby Ajala and Ryan Bowman at either end of this encounter at Plainmoor bookended a ferociously competitive clash, and secured all three points for Torquay, writes Paul McNamara.

The game began at a rare pace and within 60 seconds the Gulls’ top scorer Bowman was presented with a gilt-edged opening. Dean Beckwith, returning from a three match ban, had a forward ball intercepted by Luke Young, the ricochet sending Bowman away on goal. Ross Flitney hared from his line to narrow the angle and managed to turn the striker’s effort past his left-post.

Bowman was involved again on five minutes when Torquay made the breakthrough. Louis Briscoe flicked on Krystian Pearce’s clearance from defence, allowing Bowman to gather and find Ajala on the left. The ex-AFC Wimbledon man dipped infield, running at Will Evans, before unleashing a low shot across Flitney and into the right corner of goal.

Stuart Fleetwood had the Spitfires’ first opportunity to reply, curling his ninth minute 25 yard-free-kick from the left of goal over a six man wall, but too high to trouble stopper Martin Rice. With the away side gaining some footing, Jamie Collins stole possession off Courtney Richards high up the pitch, before passing right for Jack Midson, whose low blast was deflected behind by Gulls’ left-back Levi Ives.

A flurry of Eastleigh pressure just past the half-hour mark brought Midson a glimpse of goal. Paul Reid, having seen his original wicked cross from the left swiped away by Pearce, kept play alive by heading the ball into Midson’s path. Under pressure from the advancing Rice, Midson couldn’t get enough on his effort to force it over the line.

Eastleigh, though, were in trouble on 39 minutes after Evans was robbed as he tried to dribble his way past Ajala, who stole possession and slipped the ball inside. Reid got across to make a tremendous tackle on Briscoe, but Richards pounced to turn a sharp pass ahead of him and back to Briscoe. The ex-Mansfield man instantly prodded forward for Bowman who, 12 yards out and with time to pick his spot, blazed wastefully high and wide to the right of goal.

A minute before the break Midson glanced Fleetwood’s cross wide of the target, so sending the teams in still separated by Ajala’s goal.

Evans and Young, whose touch and passing illuminated much of his side’s midfield play, traded efforts that were pulled slightly off target in the early throes of the second period. Pearce then made a mess of trying to guide Young’s free-kick, delivered from the left, towards goal, enabling Ben Strevens to nip in and see out the danger.

With the contest becoming increasingly fractious, chances were at a premium for a period, until the 69th minute when Fleetwood gathered a ball from Midson and switched play out to Strevens on the left. The ex-Barnet man rolled a pass back into Stanley, whose low drive was comfortably held by Rice.

With the action becoming ever more frenetic, and only fifteen minutes left on the clock, Young sent an 18 yard drive whistling past the left post. The ball was quickly back at the other end of the field, with Collins finding Constable, momentarily free in the box. Pearce recovered to ease the striker off the ball, only for McAllister to pick up the scraps and tee-up Collins, whose weak effort was blocked by Ives.

Visiting boss Richard Hill sent Ben Wright on for one last hurrah, Eastleigh shaping up with four attackers as they desperately sought a leveller. With five minutes to play, they came agonisingly close as McAllister charged in, meeting the ball flush on his head but slumping to the turf as his effort thumped back off the bar.

How the Spitfires would rue that decisive moment. Collins, seeking to drive his team forward, attempted to locate Dan Spence with an 87th minute pass to the left. Briscoe read the Eastleigh player’s intentions and stole in, before driving up the right to hammer a shot at goal. Flitney produced a wonderful one-handed save, but the ball looped up perfectly for Bowman to apply the simplest of finishes for his eighth strike of the campaign.

At 2-0 the game was up, and Eastleigh’s seven match unbeaten run, stretching back to October 4, is over.