EASTLEIGH caretaker boss Chris Todd continued to press his claims for the vacant full-time post as the Welshman’s side pulled off a sensational 2-1 win at Tranmere Rovers this afternoon.

The hosts, unbeaten in nine National League outings coming into this contest, couldn’t recover after Joe Partington and James Constable struck in the second-half for the Spitfires, writes Paul McNamara.

In an action-packed game, Spitfires' keeper Ross Flitney saved Andy Mangan’s penalty on the stroke of half-time, while Constable’s second-half dismissal for kicking out at Jay Harris followed a red card for Rovers’ Lois Maynard.

Tranmere substitute Steve Jennings struck with ten minutes to play but, despite a frantic finish, Rovers, by now playing with nine men owing to injury, couldn’t deny Todd and his team a notable triumph.

Flitney had already denied James Norwood and Maynard, before he palmed away Mangan’s tame penalty, awarded when Joe Partington clipped Norwood’s heels in the box.

The Spitfires were then prevented from going into the break with a lead by Maynard’s recovery tackle on Reason, who was preparing to prod into an open net.

Two minutes after the interval Reason drilled in a right-wing corner and Partington pounced to send a bullet header inside Scott Davies’ right-hand post.

Maynard, already cautioned for a crude challenge on Josh Payne in the first-half, received his second yellow for a careless 50th minute lunge on half-time substitute Dan Harding.

Before long, the Spitfires’ were in dreamland. Liam Hogan’s slip invited Constable to streak through and lift a glorious finish over Davies to double the away team’s advantage.

Rovers set up a grandstand finish when Mangan burrowed his way across the area and fed Jennings to drill home left-footed.

Yemi Odubade, on for Midson, couldn’t convert when clean through in stoppage time, while Reason hit a post after Andy Drury’s measured pass on the counter.

Regardless, Todd’s men survived a string of hairy late moments to leave Merseyside with three precious points.