EASTLEIGH boss Chris Todd gave a nod to the footballing gods as he declared star striker James Constable fit for Saturday's big Vanarama National League test at Braintree Town.

The Spitfires had feared the worst when Constable, the club’s 17-goal top scorer, limped off after 72 minutes of Tuesday’s breakthrough 1-0 win over league leaders Cheltenham, seemingly with a hamstring problem.

But it turned out to be a false alarm and the 31-year-old is fit to lead the line against a fourth-placed Braintree side who have won five of their last six games at Cressing Road.

“It’s a miracle! Like the heavens are smiling down on us!” laughed Todd.

“Beano (Constable) thinks it was cramp.

“It turns out he’s never done a hamstring, so he wouldn’t know what it feels like.

“I thought it was a bit strange because he didn’t seem to be in that much pain when he came off.

“Usually when you pull a hamstring, you know about it.”

With international clearance now through for 18-year-old loan midfielder Tom Holland from Swansea City, it’s been an unusually good week for the Spitfires by recent standards.

The Cheltenham result has put them right back in the play-off race, ending a worrying league sequence of four draws and four defeats stretching back to December.

With Constable fit, they have a near full squad to choose from, barring suspended midfielder Ben Strevens.

“Of course there was a bit of relief after Cheltenham, it had been a long time since we’d won,” said Todd.

“But we always felt that if we could get back to what we do well, things would turn for us. We did that on Tuesday, not just for half a game but for the whole 90 minutes.

“We were organised and got back into shape very quickly and what pleased me more than anything was the clean sheet. We haven’t kept enough of those, but we’re capable as long as we do it as a team.

“We’ve got 13 games left and we have to take Tuesday’s result and build on it.”

So tight is the battle for the play-off spots that only four points separate eighth-placed Eastleigh from Braintree in fourth.

Iron boss Danny Cowley admitted his team weren’t at their fluent best in their 2-1 midweek win over basement boys Kidderminster, but said: “Over a 46-game season you have to be able to win games in all different sorts of ways. It was a resolute performance – and a determined one.”

The Iron won 2-0 at the Silverlake in early October – Todd’s first home game in charge after succeeding Richard Hill.

Cowley has added to his squad this week with the work experience signing of 18-year-old Tottenham Hotspur striker Ryan Loft.

Following tomorrow's game, Eastleigh host three home matches in eight days, starting with Woking on Tuesday (March 8). Chester visit next Saturday (March 12) followed by Bromley on Tuesday week (March 15).