BEN Heneghan’s 11th-minute goal condemned Eastleigh to a 1-0 defeat at Chester’s Deva Stadium this afternoon.

The Spitfires are now winless in four Vanarama National League contests, although Richard Hill’s side were unfortunate to travel home empty-handed after stretching the home team to their limits in a frantic finale to a match that had started at breakneck speed, writes Paul McNamara.

Craig Hobson dragged wide from six-yards early on for the hosts, before Jordan Chapell was inches away from converting Johnny Hunt’s driven left-wing cross.

The Blues broke the deadlock after Dan Harding tripped livewire Chapell on the Chester right, allowing John Rooney to send in a free-kick that found Heneghan unattended in the middle of the box to head home.

Lee Cook thought he had levelled matters on 15 minutes, but James Constable and Ross Lafayette were judged offside when the winger’s inswinging cross from the right drifted in at the far-post.

Constable had an acrobatic overhead kick fly a yard wide with half-time looming and the striker was swiftly back in the action after the break, volleying over after latching onto Lafayette’s flick-on.

Lewis Noice kept the deficit at one in the 55th minute, clawing out George Thomson’s 18-yard shot from inside his left-hand post.

Eastleigh substitute Yemi Odubade lifted over from sixyards in the 73rd minute, while Hobson and Ross Hannah both squandered opportunities to kill the game for the home team.

Lafayette was similarly out of luck for the visitors, when he headed Cook’s corner over.

Home keeper Jon Worsnop twice rescued his team in stoppage-team, first gloving the ball off Lafayette’s head amidst a penalty box scramble, then palming Cook’s whipped free-kick to safety.

Eastleigh sit in sixth spot and are eager to get back to winning ways when Dover visit the Silverlake on Tuesday.