“WE’RE still sixth, we’re still in there and we’re still fighting.”

That defiant message sounded out loud and clear from Eastleigh boss Richard Hill in the wake of Saturday’s 2-1 home defeat by Torquay United in the Vanarama Conference.

Yes, Hill was as disappointed as most in the 1,844 crowd after a Bowman – the Gulls’ top scorer Ryan – had pierced an arrow through Eastleigh hearts on Valentine’s Day to secure the visiting FA Trophy semi-finalists their first win in eight league games.

But, speaking candidly after the Spitfires had stumbled to their third league reverse on home territory since the turn of the year, Hill felt it was time for a dose of reality.

“We put ourselves in a good position and played some good football today, we just didn’t see it through,” he said.

“We made two horrible mistakes and gave two bad goals away and, when you do that, you’re not going to win games of football.

“But just because we’ve lost a game everyone perceives that we’ve played badly when that wasn’t the case.

“We actually played better today than we did at Southport on Tuesday (where Eastleigh won 2-1), so work that logic out!

“If people say we played badly today, I disagree.

“There are a lot of experts out there with opinions on how we should be playing and who we should be playing, but the way we have been playing has got us to sixth in the league.

“I have no reason to blame anyone or anything for today’s result. We just didn’t defend well twice and, the higher up you go in football, the more your mistakes get punished.

“We didn’t lose on purpose and we can either sulk about it or get back to work and get on with it.

“We’re still sixth and we’re still in with a fighting chance.”

Eastleigh took a 16th-minute lead when the bandaged head of Joe Partington – who needed five stitches in his eyebrow after bravely scoring at Southport – met Jai Reason’s deep free-kick with a looping header across goal, presenting Jamaican World Cup star Deon Burton with an easy finish on his full debut.

It could so easily have been two seven minutes later when a booming header from former Gulls’ loanee midfielder Craig Stanley crashed down off the crossbar before being scrambled off the goalline, with Hill later admitting: “I’d like to look at that one again and see if, when it bounced down, it didn’t go over the line.”

Torquay were not without chances but it looked as if Eastleigh would take a lead into the break until the very last knockings of the half.

Bowman burst onto Toby Ajala’s through ball and, with Ross Flitney narrowing the angle, his shot was deflected onto the post and behind by Partington.

Sub Courtney Cameron’s corner was headed goalwards by Courtney Richards and Frenchman Ollivier Guegan did the rest, chesting the ball down and turning and volleying into the roof of the net for 1-1.

Torquay were a different proposition after the break with the pacy Ajala proving a real handful for Eastleigh left-back Michael Green and Bowman and Louis Briscoe willing workers up front.

But Spitfires skipper and centre-back Dean Beckwith was impeccable on his return from shoulder damage and, on 53 minutes, Eastleigh might have reclaimed the lead when either Brian Howard or Burton could have capitalised on Green’s cross from the left. They passed it between each other and, when Burton finally pulled the trigger, his shot was high and none too handsome.

James Constable replaced the 38-year-old just after the hour at which point an amazingly open contest could have swung either way.

But it was Bowman who landed the killer blow in the 76th minute when Ajala, playing like a man possessed, delivered for Cameron who bent a 20-yard curler round Flitney and against the inside of the post. As the ball ran free, Torquay’s No9 reacted swiftest to stab it over the line.

Eastleigh mounted a late cavalry charge and had a strong penalty shout turned down for a shove on sub Jack Midson, but it was not to be as Torquay joined Altrincham and Grimsby on the list of Silverlake victors in 2015.

“This place was quite difficult for teams to come to but, at the moment, we’re making it a bit easy for teams ,” admitted Hill.

“We had some nice bits of pretty play but we got loose at times and were a bit dozy.

“When we get our noses in front we need to find a way of staying in front.

“If that means winning 1-0 and the game becoming a bit boring, so be it.”

Eastleigh: Ross Flitney, Will Evans, Michael Green, Craig Stanley, Dean Beckwith, Joe Partington, Brian Howard (Jack Midson, 81), Deon Burton (James Constable, 61), Craig McAllister, Jai Reason (Dan Walker, 46). Subs (not used): Dan Spence, Ben Strevens.

Torquay Utd: Martin Rice, Krystian Pearce, Levi Ives, Luke Young, Ollivier Gueguen, Angus MacDonald, Jordan Chappell, Louis Briscoe (Duane Ofori-Acheampong, 81), Ryan Bowman, Courtney Richards, Toby Ajala (James McQuilkin, 90).

Referee: Craig Hicks (Sutton) Attendance: 1,844