DAN Walker announced his arrival into the action in the finest possible style as Eastleigh kept their Vanarama Conference play-off flame burning with a 1-0 win at Chester on Saturday.

The Spitfires' recent loan recruit from Braintree Town scored the only goal of the game just sixty seconds after his 64th-minute introduction, writes Paul McNamara.

Walker’s strike came when he stole inside Chester left-back Gareth Roberts at the back-post to slide Jai Reason’s inswung cross from the left past Jon Worsnop in the hosts’ goal.

With both sides quick into the tackle on a sticky playing surface, dampened by a deluge of hailstones that cascaded down prior to kick-off, it was a frenetic opening to the encounter, short on any real quality.

Chester were first to show any attacking menace when, five minutes in, Sean McConville wrested possession from Craig Stanley before continuing his run and being found by Brad Abbott to send a drive on goal from the right that was well held by Ross Flitney between the visitors’ posts.

Dan Spence, returning to the Spitfires’ side in place of Will Evans, was the architect of his team’s first forward raid - the right-back hanging a cross to Dean Beckwith at the back-post. Eastleigh’s skipper headed back into the path of Harry Pell, who side-footed over from 18-yards.

That was the cue for Chester to take a temporary stranglehold on proceedings. Craig Hobson, the hosts’ imposing target man, climbed to nod a Roberts free-kick back for John Rooney to drill wildly high of the target before, minutes later, Flitney was required to charge a long way from his goal to swipe Matt Hughes’ through ball clear of Hobson.

Hobson was back underlining his aerial menace when Ryan Higgins’ long throw from the right found the striker glancing low to Flitney’s right, only for the ‘keeper to beat the ball away – with the wide-awake Spence on hand to complete the clearance.

Hughes, routinely switching wings with Craig Mahon, was a constant threat with his slick touch and direct running, and when the Fleetwood loanee decided to try his luck, firing a shot from distance, the ball cannoned away off the leg of Joe Partington – McConville slashing the rebound too high to concern Flitney.

The Spitfires’ clearest chance during the opening period came at the end of a lightning counter that ended with Michael Green and James Constable combining to funnel the ball across from the left for Jack Midson to slide in Pell.

The ex-AFC Wimbledon man’s first dig at goal was blocked by one of a clutch of closing blue shirts, but Pell recovered to deliver into Constable. The Eastleigh attacker, though, well-placed and with Worsnop in the home goal out of position, snatched at his first time shot, directing it wide of the right post.

Constable saw another strike, after he had been played in on the left by Reason, fly across the face of goal, although it was Chester who finished the half on top.

First Hughes crossed from the right for Ben Heneghan, but the big centre-half, stretching to connect, couldn’t get over the ball enough trouble Flitney, before Mahon unloaded a strike from range that hurried past the left upright.

It was Eastleigh with the first chance after the break, Constable being felled by Kieran Charnock as he latched onto Pell’s through ball, with Green’s resultant free-kick directed at the near-post and ricocheting off McConville’s knee and behind.

It required an exceptional piece of defending by Partington, diving to head back to his ‘keeper, to prevent Higgins’ searching ball from the right reaching Hobson.

The visitors were less secure when Pell’s loose ball ran for McConville, enabling the former Accrington Stanley man to slip in Hughes on the right. The attacker sent the ball scurrying across the six yard box, and just centimetres in front of Hobson’s desperate lunge.

Hobson strong-armed his way free of Partington as Chester continued to probe, with the Eastleigh defender going into referee Richard Martin’s notebook for bringing his opponent down 20 yards out as he hared back to recover. Rooney struck the dead ball low and bound for the inside of Flitney’s right post, until the away stopper, tumbling to his right, clawed away.

Another Higgins throw sparked some panic in the Spitifres’ area, the ball making its way right through to the back stick and McConville, who lashed over.

That was the prompt for Richard Hill to call on Walker – Pell the man to give way – and before he knew it, Eastleigh’s manager could lay claim to a masterstroke when the speedy winger ruthlessly dispatched his first chance on goal.

Shortly after going behind Chester were on the hunt for a leveller, Abbott going down under another Partington challenge and enabling Rooney to have a second go from a set piece. The midfielder could only send his strike directly into Flitney’s clutches, however.

With wise heads Deon Burton and Brian Howard on the pitch, and Beckwith and Partington defending their box manfully, Eastleigh kept the hosts’ at bay as Steve Burr’s men desperately sought to break through.

Indeed, twice the away team could have struck on the break. Ben Strevens’ header from a Reason free-kick was only gathered by Worsnop at the second attempt and, deep into four minutes’ stoppage time, Walker brought another stop from the ‘keeper after robbing Abbott on the left touchline and cutting infield to shoot.

Before that last gasp Walker attempt, the excellent Spence had produced a terrific covering tackle to stop substitute Kane Richards from getting on the end of his fellow replacement George Thomson’s centre, while Charnock had headed Abbott’s left wing corner straight at Flitney.

Hill will reflect on a consummate away performance and can savour the inner glow of his inspired change just after the hour, with his Eastleigh team keeping hold of sixth place ahead of Tuesday’s trip to Halifax.