Spitfires power into Vanarama Premier play-off places

Unbelievably the Spitfires missed three penalties by three different players against the ten-man Imps, who had Jon Nolan sent off after just 19 minutes of a surreal afternoon at the Silverlake.

Spitfires manager Richard Hill made two changes to the side that started last weekend’s 2-0 defeat by Altrincham, bringing Will Evans and new signing Brian Howard into the starting line-up in place of Craig McAllister and the suspended Michael Green.

Lincoln’s attacking intentions were evident from the off as they took the game to Eastleigh, hustling them out of possession and stretching them with their pace.

The visitors, buoyed by a run of three straight league wins, forced a couple of early corners, their best effort played short in the tenth minute with Sean Newton exchanging passes with Nolan on the right before aiming an effort towards the far top corner which drifted just over.

Poole referee Chris Powell incurred the wrath of the Eastleigh crowd with a couple of harsh-looking decisions against them when it looked as if it was Jack Midson who had been fouled.

Sarcastic jeers then filled the stadium when Mr Powell finally penalised City’s Hamza Bencherif for man-handling James Constable and that heralded a better spell for Eastleigh with Howard fast becoming a focal figure for the home side.

Having had one shot deflected over, Howard played in Ben Strevens who had nipped in behind the defence.

Strevens looked a certain scorer as his shot had keeper Paul Farman beaten, but Bencherif miraculously cleared it off the line.

Howard then delivered a free-kick from the right which Constable headed over before the game exploded to life on 19 minutes as the Imps’ Nolan lunged in with a dangerous late challenge on Evans.

The Dorset official had no hesitation in producing the red card, leaving the visitors to battle on with ten men.

Evans was able to continue after treatment as an extraordinary half unfolded.

Lincoln needed another goal-line clearance to keep the Spitfires at bay, Jake Caprice this time denying Evans, before, at the other end, Eastleigh’s on-loan defender Joe Partington took Delano Sam-Yorke’s legs from under him on the right corner of the home area.

The AFC Bournemouth man was booked and Imps skipper Alan Power drilled the free kick into the side netting.

Just when the crowd thought they had seen it all, Eastleigh were awarded a 27th-minute penalty.

Lincoln were under no particular threat as Constable looked to turn into space just inside the area but Power needlessly brought him down.

Howard, who had looked full of confidence, stepped up to take the spot kick, but he turned out to be too clever for his own good, sending an embarrassingly powder-puff effort straight down the middle and into keeper Farman’s hands.

An incident-packed game lacked only a goal and Midson went close to getting one with a header that flew narrowly off target from Craig Stanley’s right-wing cross.

But despite surviving a couple of scary moments from crosses delivered at the other end, the Spitfires kept going and eventually got their reward with a 39th minute opener.

Again the threat was mounted down the right – Evans delivering the ball low to the near post where MIDSON back-heeled it into the net.

Eastleigh then switched the point of attack to the left of the area where Constable slipped the ball into the path of Jai Reason who forced Farman to save low to his left.

Compared to the drama that had gone before, the opening to the second-half was reasonably uneventful, but two Eastleigh goals in three minutes soon changed that.

Bencherif’s failure to cut out another cross by Evans cost the visitors dear on 54 minutes as CONSTABLE pounced to make it 2-0 from close range.

Then, before City could draw breath, they were undone by another cross, this time Dan Spence’s from the left, and MIDSON was there to stab home his second of the game.

With the points seemingly safe, Hill threw on Yemi Odubade and McAllister for Howard and Reason – and still the chances continued to come for the home side.

Before making his exit Reason tested Farman with a well-struck free-kick and twice Constable was blocked out by Farman either side of Craig Stanley’s terrific long-range strike which narrowly cleared the bar.

After cooling down briefly, the game warmed up a again on the 79th minute when Evans had his run at goal cut short by Newton inside the area and again the referee pointed to the spot.

Midson stepped up this time in search of his hat-trick and, although his penalty was a marked improvement on Howard’s earlier attempt, Farman denied him with an excellent save as he firmly pushed the ball away.

Unbelievably the Spitfires were awarded a third penalty of the afternoon on 86 minutes when Charlee Adams brought down substitute Odubade.

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The otherwise excellent Evans this time placed the ball on the spot and, to the disbelief of the 1,492 crowd, the defender launched it straight into the magnificent new stand behind the far-end goal.

There was still time for sub McAllister to crown proceedings, collecting Odubade’s pass and slipping the ball past Farman for Eastleigh’s fourth a minute into stoppage time.