By Paul McNamara

ROOTED to the bottom of the Championship and with their very existence in doubt, the last thing Bolton Wanderers will want is a visit from away day specialists Eastleigh.

Neil Lennon’s men would have been mightily relieved to secure the 1-1 draw that earned them an FA Cup third round replay on home soil tonight.

But that emotion will have quickly dissipated when they cast their eyes over the Spitfires’ incredible record on the road.

During Chris Todd’s tenure alone, Eastleigh are unbeaten in 11 away matches – winning nine and drawing two.

The Spitfires have lost four of their last 30 away matches.

That remarkable streak of form, which this season includes wins at former Football League clubs Tranmere Rovers and Macclesfield, started during Richard Hill’s reign.

Todd’s predecessor closed out 2014 by overseeing victories at Telford United and Braintree.

Eastleigh hit a total of nine goals in those two games – and a fuse had been lit. Suddenly, a side that had struggled to compete away from home was unstoppable on its travels.

Bristol Rovers were the headline victims, as Hill’s team was beaten only once in their final 10 away matches of last season.

Their lone reverse between January and April 2015 came at the hands of Grimsby Town. The Mariners’ Blundell Park ground would also be the venue where Eastleigh’s Conference Premier promotion hopes were shattered.

Hill’s men then started this campaign in similar vein. An opening day rout of Southport was swiftly followed by a draw at Welling and a lastgasp triumph at Aldershot.

It was something of a surprise, then, when a puzzlingly flat looking Eastleigh team fell to a 1-0 defeat at newly promoted Barrow. That disappointment at the start of September marked the dawn of a winless five game run that led to Hill resigning.

That series of matches featured a single goal defeat at Chester, which followed four days after Yemi Odubade’s wonder strike had seen Eastleigh leave Altrincham’s ground on the back of a 1-1 draw.

Todd’s first task, once he had taken caretaker charge, was to rediscover his side’s away form from the Silverlake Stadium – and he duly delivered, beginning his reign with an extraordinary 3-2 win at Wrexham.

In addition, the Spitfires have also been in form in the cup.

In getting to this third round stage, they have sandwiched a 1-0 first round triumph at League One Crewe Alexandra with measured victories at Bromley and Stourbridge. What’s more, Todd’s men secured their progress to round two of the FA Trophy by winning at Aldershot for the second time this season.