JAI Reason so nearly had the perfect birthday present.

The midfielder, who turned 26 on Saturday, impressed in his first game against Championship opposition.

Eastleigh took a 51st-minute lead against Bolton when his teasing, left-footed inswinger from the right was turned in at the near post by the hapless Dorian Dervite.

But with three minutes left, Reason cut a frustrated figure as he tussled for the ball with Darren Pratley following the Bolton captain’s equaliser.

“We nearly won it, we were unlucky but hopefully we’ve put Eastleigh on the map,” he said.

“We’re a bit deflated because we were so close but we showed we have quality, we didn’t look out of place at all.

“The pitch was always going to be difficult for them, you could understand them turning their nose up at it as a Championship club, but I’ve been here four years and have played on a lot worse.”

Reason’s quality shone amidst the mud.

“Some days I don’t touch the ball but against a good Championship side I got that freedom to showcase what I can do,” he said. “I come off the wing and try and make things happen.”

Reason’s delivery for the opening goal was a case in point. “That’s what I do, I put dangerous balls in,” he said.

“I had one in the FA Cup [fourth qualifying round] against Bromley that went straight through and this time it took a nick off.”

Reason is now looking forward to showing more of what he can do at the Macron Stadium, the biggest stage he will have played on since Cambridge United’s National League play-off final defeat to Torquay United at Wembley in 2009.

“It will be nice to play on a good pitch,” said Reason, a former West Ham season-ticket holder hoping to have a fourth-round trip to Upton Park as an added incentive.

With his best years still ahead of him, his ultimate ambition is to play in the Football League every week.

“Since I left Ipswich as a young boy I’ve been working for four or five years to get myself back at a Football League club,” he said.

Reason, who was planning to spend the night of his birthday with his mum and girlfriend at home in Benfleet, Essex, hopes to achieve his goal with the Spitfires.

“I dropped down a league from Braintree to Eastleigh because the chairman sold me a dream to get into the Football League and four seasons later we are so close.

“The chairman’s (Stewart Donald) done fantastic here.

“When I first signed there were only 250 fans so it was good to see the place packed out.

“He’s put in £3m and brought in players with same hunger to get out of this league.

“When you train with the likes of Andy Drury and Lee Cook day in, day out it raises your game by ten per cent.”