CHRIS Todd emerged from a week of change at Eastleigh delighted with a second win in five days and insisting he never doubted his side would re-ignite their Vanarama National League play-off charge.

The Spitfires yesterday rounded off a busy few days at the Silverlake Stadium by beating Chester 1-0, a result that didn’t do justice to the home team’s utter dominance of their doughty visitors, writes Paul McNamara.

Assistant manager Shaun North left the club on Friday, the same day that Eastleigh initiated their move to full-time status – and 24 hours before Matt Tubbs’ penalty earned Todd’s men their third win in four outings.

“Shaun North left the football club on Friday,” said Todd. “It was my decision. I thank him for his enormous effort during his time here.

“We wish Shaun all the best and now we all move on.”

On the shift to becoming a full-time operation the Eastleigh boss explained: “We train on a Friday now, which we’ve never done before. But that’s what we need to do.

“We need to be successful and you have to work hard to do that. They’ve done that this week and deserved the results they’ve had.”

Following the drama of Will Evans’ 95th-minute winner against Woking last Tuesday, the Spitfires had to wait 70 minutes for their breakthrough against Chester.

But while some of the 1,831 people inside the Silverlake might have been wondering if Eastleigh would live to regret passing up a series of scoring chances, Todd wasn’t one of them.

He said: “I was really confident. I believe you get out what you put in.

"The lads worked so hard today, and their performance was so good, that they deserved that goal - and I always knew it would come.

“I’m very, very pleased. A lot of things have happened at the club in the last couple of weeks and the manner in which the lads have reacted has been extremely pleasing.”

Todd was also delighted with the identity of the scorer, Tubbs, who impudently chipped a penalty down the middle of goal, after Chester defender Ryan Astles had tugged Yemi Odubade to the floor inside the box.

“He’s done tremendously well since he’s been here,” said Todd, when asked about the contribution of Portsmouth loanee Tubbs.

“Today he’s got his goal and I’m very pleased for him. He’s deserved that.

"It was a cheeky goal, a real Matt Tubbs goal. Not many people have the nerve to chip a penalty over the ‘keeper.”

Todd also suggested that Luke Coulson’s second virtuoso, all-action display in a week was validation for Eastleigh’s ambition in breaking the club’s transfer record to recruit the versatile 22-year-old from Oxford City in January.

He said: “We pushed the boat out to get him in, when lots and lots of people were looking at him and trying to get his signature.

"We knew he was a good talent and what he can achieve.

“It just shows that this club wants to keep progressing. Bringing players like Luke Coulson to this club is massive.

“He’s got so much ability and you’ve seen it today. It was an outstanding performance, and it was the other night as well.

"He’s a great lad, he wants to work, he wants to play for the team and he’s bonded with the lads very, very well.”

Todd also had positive words for Joe Partington, who responded to being handed the captain’s armband by turning in his latest cavalier performance at right-back.

“He’s a captain,” enthused Todd. “He’s a leader. Even when I was a coach I used to tell him that. I’m not sure he believed it.

“I’ve had conversations with him, where I’ve told him: ‘You’ve got to start leading by example. You’re a good footballer and you’re capable of playing as high as you want to’.

“He led by example today, that’s for sure.”

Todd doesn’t expect key midfielder Andy Drury to recover from injury in time for Tuesday night, when Eastleigh host Bromley at the Silverlake, while striker James Constable has only an outside chance of being fit for the Ravens’ visit.

The manager is, nevertheless, relishing his side’s quick opportunity to record a third win on the bounce.

“We always look forward to football,” said Todd. “I was always confident we would turn it around and we have done that. We’ve got three wins from four and we’re starting to build again.

“It’s a strong squad. They’ve all stepped up to the plate. We’re all in it together now.

"There’s a really good feel around the place again. We’ve got a good bond. We want to achieve something together and be successful.”