EASTLEIGH manager Chris Todd challenged his side to win promotion to the Football League after their heroic performance at Bolton Wanderers.

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The Spitfires manager was "absolutely proud as punch" after his side lost their FA Cup replay 3-2 at the Macron Stadium.

Todd said: “I said when we first started in this competition, trying to get in the first round: ‘let’s create a memory together’.

"We’ve definitely done that. The performance levels have been extreme. To take on a Championship team and play like we have in both games, regardless of their position, is second to none.

“If we take that into the National League we’ve got a good chance of doing something special and getting promotion.

“I’ve only been in the job for a short stint but incredible things have happened. This club keeps growing and growing.

“It’s a remarkable story, not so long ago it was a Wessex League outfit and now it’s rubbing shoulders with a Championship club and doing very well.”

Eastleigh took an 11th -minute lead through Joe Partington and responded to going 2-1 down with Kaid Mohamed's equaliser on the stroke of half-time, before losing 3-2.

“It hasn’t gone our way, it’s not the result we wanted, but we can’t take anything away from my players’ character, commitment, effort and desire,” said Todd.

“My players have shown their capabilities. I think people were shocked we played such good football.

“A lot of them could play higher up, and I’m expecting calls about them. Luckily I've got a good chairman!

“Shola Ameobi came up and said ‘you’ve got one great team’ and that means a lot - I used to watch him on Match of the Day and have a lot of respect for him!”

Ironically, the scorer of Bolton’s second goal was Dean Moxey, a former teammate of Todd's at Exeter City.

“I didn’t have a chance to catch up with him at the end but trust him to score!” laughed Todd, who is now preparing to take Eastleigh from Bolton Wanderers to Boreham Wood.

“The players are disheartened because they thought they would win - that’s the belief they have,” he said. “Now we’ve got to pick ourselves up because Boreham Wood will be a totally different scenario.”