IT is hard to recall a more significant two days in the city’s footballing history.

Twenty-four hours after Saints’ momentous Europa League win against Inter Milan, Eastleigh also put south-west Hampshire on the football map with a performance of verve, passion and plenty of quality, particularly in an entertaining second half.

This was a quintessential FA Cup occasion, with the Match of the Day cameras present and fireworks set off against the night sky adding to a crackling pre-match atmosphere.

Eastleigh manager Ronnie Moore revelled in it, providing plenty of pre-match entertainment.

His gripes about not having the FA Cup ball to practise with had added some spice (“We use Jako balls in the National League but the FA Cup balls are like the ones you would buy at a garage”).

Then, minutes before kick off, he revealed on live television that he had had the Silverlake Stadium pitch narrowed by four yards to combat Swindon’s width.

It was easy to see why Eastleigh’s players love playing for Moore. After Mikael Mandron’s 64th-minute header was cancelled out by Michael Doughty’s penalty five minutes later, they nearly won it in injury time when substitute Aya Obileye’s volley was cleared off the line.

Eastleigh began as brightly as they finished.

Luke Coulson did not take long to make his presence felt, cutting in from the left and skidding a 20-yarder that former Liverpool goalkeeper Lawrence Vigoroux turned behind for a corner.

Eastleigh goalkeeper Ryan Clarke, a week after breaking his nose, dived bravely at the feet of former Aston Villa forward Nathan Delfouneso before Michael Green fizzed over a cross that a diving Mikael Mandron headed off target at the near post.

Two minutes later came an even better chance.

Coulson crossed from the left, an inswinger with his right foot that found Mandron inside the area. The former Sunderland striker deflected the ball into the path of centre-half Connor Essam, who was denied from close range by Vigouroux.

The excellent Clarke was forced into his first save of note midway through the first half when the pacy Delfouneso’s surging run from deep found Luke Norris, whose shot was tipped behind as Clarke dived low to his right at the clubhouse end.

Swindon switched to a back four when their captain, Nathan Thomson, limped off and soon forced Clarke into the save of the night.

When Norris was fouled by Green, Michael Doughty struck the bar with an inswinging free kick from the right flank. The rebound was volleyed across goal and Norris’s powerful, close-range header looked goalbound.

Yet somehow Clarke kept it out with the combination of fast reactions, athleticism and the strongest of right hands.

There was an argument that the ball had crossed the line. But replays were inconclusive and, anyhow, Clarke deserved the plaudits for an incredible stop, not to mention a change of fortune after the sudden death of his father and the broken nose he suffered in last week’s 4-0 defeat at Barrow.

Delfouneso continued to show his pedigree as the second half got underway, sending a delicate chip just wide of the far post after evading a couple of challenges in the 48th minute.

It was surprising and disappointing that Eastleigh were not supported by more than the 3,312 in attendance. The crowd was nearly 2,000 below capacity but Swindon’s vocal contingent of 779 certainly made their presence felt.

A couple of blistering Coulson runs down the left gave Eastleigh more belief but they were grateful to Essam’s block following Yaser Kasim’s burst into the area. The Iraq international’s shot was deflected into the path of Norris who miscued under pressure from Johnson.

Then, in the 64th minute, Howells stepped up to take a free-kick in a central position from about 35 yards out. He floated in an inswinger with his left foot and Mandron rose highest to head past Vigouroux. It was his first FA Cup goal since scoring on loan for Moore’s Hartlepool against Salford City in last season’s second round.

Within five minutes Swindon were level from the penalty spot. Referee Oliver Langford did not hesitate when Clarke brought down Doughty, who slammed in the equaliser left-footed into the bottom right corner.

Constable had a wonderful chance to restore Eastleigh’s lead when Green’s cross found him unmarked on the edge of the six-yard box at the near post.

He could only tap it straight at Vigouroux. After Essam denied Delfouneso with a perfectly timed sliding block inside the area, Constable set up another chance for Mandron, whose shot was saved.

Howells shot straight at Vigouroux from distance and then Obileye nearly won it in the four minutes of injury time.

The powerfully-built defender controlled the ball with his chest and then from 16 yards out volleyed goalwards.

It was the sweetest of strikes but Obileye, having been recalled from his loan at Dover to make his first appearance for the Spitfires, was thwarted by the outstretched boot of Brandon Ormonde-Ottewill, who anticipated the danger by making his way across the goal line to earn his side a replay at the County Ground on Tuesday week.