EASTLEIGH caretaker boss Chris Todd is about to be reunited with the chairman who saved his football career.

While Todd hopes to further stake his claim for the job by winning tomorrow's FREE-ENTRY match against table-topping Forest Green Rovers at the Silverlake Stadium (Tuesday, 7.45pm), he acknowledges that, but for the generosity of Rovers’ chairman Dale Vince, he would never have joined the Spitfires in the first place.

“I’d like to say I had good times at Forest Green, but I didn’t,” recalled Todd, who signed a two-year deal at The New Lawn in May 2011 after arriving from Newport County.

He suffered a devastating hamstring injury in the opening league fixture of 2011/12 against Stockport County which required surgery and sidelined him for the best part of a year. And when he did eventually get back, he was sent off and suspended for three games.

“Off the field the club and the fans were brilliant, but nothing else went to plan,” Todd confessed.

“The injury I had was severe and I’ve got a lot to thank the chairman Dale Vince for. He paid out of his own pocket to get me fit again. If it wasn’t for him, I'd never have played for Eastleigh because it was career-threatening. Dale is a top guy.”

With the Spitfires expected to unveil their new boss later this week, tomorrow's big Vanarama National League showdown is likely to be Todd’s last in caretaker charge.

Saturday’s momentous 2-1 win at Tranmere will have boosted his chances of a permanent appointment but, like Richard Hill before him, he is having no luck whatsoever with injuries and suspensions.

Having made the bold decision to start Michael Green at left-back instead of ex-Saint Dan Harding on Merseyside, he lost him to a groin injury at half-time.

Green is doubtful for tomorrow, while top scorer James Constable is due to start a three-match ban for being red-carded at Tranmere while midfielder Josh Payne misses one game for five bookings.

Eastleigh currently top the National League ‘card count’ table with 28 yellows and four reds - Constable following Green, Ben Strevens and goalkeeper Ross Flitney in getting his marching orders.

“It not great and it’s something we need to work on,” Todd acknowledged. “Sometimes it’s out of your hands if you mis-time a tackle and I wouldn’t want to take away from the physical side of our game. I want the players to be physical and brave.

“But it’s the silly things like getting booked for kicking the ball away that we need to clamp down on and we had a discussion about that yesterday.”

When Eastleigh let in home and away supporters free of charge for the same fixture last season, it attracted a gate of 2,108 for a 2-2 draw.

They will be hoping for an even bigger gate tonight and Todd feels his side owe the fans a home performance after the 2-0 disappointment against Braintree last time out.

“I didn’t feel we gave the fans enough to cheer about that day and I’m hoping they’ll have more to shout about tonight,” he said.

“It’s a tough task, but it should be a good game against top-of-the-league.

“If we play as well as we’ve done at Wrexham and Tranmere, we’re more than capable.”