IT WAS too far and way too cold for ‘Mr Eastleigh’ Derik Brooks to make the 230-mile trip to Bolton Wanderers last night.

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But the Spitfires’ 92-year-old founder will doubtless have been sitting at home glowing in the warmth of the greatest night in the club’s 70-year history.

Never mind that the result went against them, this rollercoaster FA Cup third round replay was still an occasion to savour.

Manager Chris Todd had been looking for a magic ‘carpet’ ride on the pristine Macron Stadium surface.

It didn’t quite come off but, boy, did the Spitfires do non-League football proud in front of an 8,287 crowd.

Having taken the lead with a flash of genius from Joe Partington, they conceded twice against the Champioinship strugglers but still dug deep into their reserves of character to level through Kaid Mohamed on the stroke of half time.

Neil Lennon’s Bolton, crippled by problems on and off the park, were the better side in the second half and ultimately deserved their victory.

But to put Eastleigh's performance into perspective, they left the north west knowing they had played their part in a five-goal thriller against a famous old club that has lifted the FA Cup four times in their history – three of them before Brooks founded Eastleigh’s forerunners Swaythling Athletic FC back in May 1946.

Eastleigh barely got a look-in early on as Bolton suffocated their visitors with mostly aimless possession football, interspersed by the occasional long ball forward to pick out the runs of Gary Modine and Liam Feeney.

But if that was meant to boost the fragile confidence of the problem-ridden Championship side, it backfired spectacularly after 11 minutes when Eastleigh seized the lead with their first meaningful attack.

And what a goal it was from Fareham-based right-back Joe Partington.

Exploding down the right, he was picked out by a perfect pass from Eastleigh’s pedigree midfielder Andy Drury.

The former AFC Bournemouth man did the rest, powering into the area and cutting inside a challenge before gloriously picking out the far corner of Paul Rachubka’s net.

Californian-born Rachubka – picked in place of the suspended Ben Amos – had little else to do in the opening half-hour but, in fairness, neither did his opposite number Ross Flitney.

Although Bolton began to play some fluent passing football, Eastleigh defended like Trojans and at times it was like trying to thread the ball through the eye of a needle for Wanderers as they tried to force an opening. 

The natives began to get restless as half chances for Arsenal loanee Wellington Silva and Gary Modine came to nought.

But the tie was turned on its head inside five damaging minutes for the Spitfires as Lennon’s men turned a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 lead.

With 39 minutes gone Josh Vela crossed from the right, Madine controlled it with his chest and, with Eastleigh skipper Paul Reid grounded, drilled it home on the half-volley from 15 yards.

It got worse for the Spitfires on 43 minutes as they were dealt what looked to be a killer blow by Dean Moxey, a former Exeter teammate of Spitfires boss Chris Todd.

Flitney – outstanding in the 1-1 draw at the Silverlake – had just pulled another top-drawer save out of the bag to tip Silva’s free-kick onto the bar as it headed for the top corner.

But Eastleigh failed to clear the subsequent corner and Moxey punished them with a thumping strike from 20 yards.

It looked like being a gloomy trudge to the half-time dressing room for Todd’s side – until they conjured up an equaliser in the second minute of stoppage time thanks to new signing Kaid Mohamed.

Having scored an own goal at Eastleigh, Wanderers’ Dorian Dervite was at fault again with a weak defensive header. Former Bath City man Mohamed picked up the pieces, played a neat one-two with Jai Reason before slotting the ball under Rachubka for his first goal in the blue and white of Eastleigh.

The Spitfires came under the cosh at the start of second half with ex-Salisbury man Liam Feeney, a growing threat on the right, lashing one chance into the side netting before Darren Pratley and Liam Trotter rose together to head Feeney’s cross over.

In between times, Madine went off injured, making way for Shola Ameobi who was to play his part in restoring Wanderers’ lead with the hour mark fast approaching.

The former Newcastle man, due to leave the cash-strapped Trotters at the end of the week, played a clever one-two with Pratley and the Bolton skipper, who broke Eastleigh hearts with that late leveller at the Silverlake, drove low into the corner of Fltiney’s net.

With the Spitfires up against it, the 500-plus travelling fans in the gloriously named Franking Sense South Stand upped the noise levels even higher, determined to make themselves heard, loud and proud, on the biggest stage their club has ever played on - and lest we forget only their second ever competitive tie against Football League opposition.

Eastleigh chances were few and far between until Jack Midson, on as a 75th-minute substitute for Ben Strevens, crossed for Reason whose 79th-minute shot was blocked.

That was to be the last contribution of the Spitfires’ gifted No10 who made way for the experienced Lee Cook with just over ten minutes remaining.

Bolton’s second substitution, which saw Kaiyne Woolery replace Silva, will have come as sweet relief to Eastleigh.

The little No22 had become increasingly hard to tame with his darting runs , at one point leaving Partington and Reid in his slipstream before delivering a dangerous ball across the face of goal and then teeing up Ameobi for a shot that flashed just past Flitney’s right-hand post.

Eastleigh threw big striker Ross Lafayette into the mix in a bid to salvage the tie but, confronted by a Bolton team who actually played like a Championship side in the second half, it proved one step too far for the valiant non-Leaguers.

They bowed out, heads held high, at the end of a magical journey their fans will never forget.

Former Spitfires boss Richard Hill prided himself on achieving ‘firsts’ for the club – leading them into the National League and through to the FA Cup second round.

Todd has now taken Eastleigh one step further in little more than three months in charge and, on the evidence of this memorable Cup run, who is to say he won’t be the first to lead them into the Football League?