RONNIE Moore had hoped to go into Tuesday's FA replay at Swindon Town feeling relaxed and positive about Eastleigh’s prospects of climbing out of the National League.

Instead he cut an agitated figure after his misfiring Spitfires had meekly surrendered two precious points against lowly York City yesterday.

Moore has long viewed September’s 1-1 home draw against Southport as the win that got away – and now he has another one to ruefully reflect on.

Eastleigh should have been out of sight before 20th-placed York equalised with their first shot on target in the 76th minute.

Instead, all the Spitfires had to show for their dominance was a 52nd-minute Mikael Mandron header and the longer the game went on, the more fragile their grip became.

In fact Minstermen's boss Gary Mills was convinced that if they hadn't lost ex-Salisbury defender Clovis Kamdjo to injury with three subs already on, York were the likelier winners.

Moore was taken aback by the waywardness of Eastleigh’s finishing.

He had labelled his strikers “powderpuff” in the 4-0 defeat at Barrow and saw little on Saturday to change his mind.

“If you don’t score goals, you don’t get out of this division,” he stated.

“We’ve had umpteen chances – enough to win three games.

“But the worst side in the world will get a chance, it’s whether they take it. They (York) have taken it today and it makes it feel like a loss."

Mandron’s glancing finish from Andy Drury’s delivery was his second headed goal in two games.

But while the Frenchman may be pleased with his return, his manager expects more – not just from Mandron, but his entire strike force.

Moore hopes to strengthen in January when the Football League transfer windows opens, but suggested it could be difficult moving people out.

“Where do they move to?” he asked. “If they’re not scoring here, why would they score anywhere else?

“We've got five strikers and they get the opportunities (to score), but it doesn’t matter which pair we play up there (they don’t take them).

“Mandron’s got two in two and he’ll be pleased with himself on that one, but he should be scoring five in five, six in four or whatever.

“You should never be satisfied with one goal.

“I might just as well put a DVD in the changing room and not go in there because I’m saying the same thing every week.

“How many chances do we want?”

Mandron’s header wide from Michael Green’s inviting cross and a trademark Luke Coulson strike were the pick of Eastleigh’s first-half offerings.

James Constable was denied by the linesman’s flag before Mandron made the second-half breakthrough, but York went for broke with a triple substitution and stunned their hosts with a 76th-minute leveller.

Danny Holmes found Simon Heslop who controlled the ball with his chest before slipping it under keeper Ryan Clarke.

Suddenly it was panic stations in the Spitfires’ defence and it needed Reda Johnson to whip the ball off sub Richard Brodie’s boot as he shaped to shoot.

Eastleigh got some respite when Kamdjo fell awkwardly in a challenge with Mandron and, after treatment was stretchered off the pitch, reducing the visitors to ten men.

That took the sting out of York as an attacking force but, although Eastleigh threw the kitchen sink at their visitors amid a frenzied six minutes of stoppage time, efforts by Johnson and Cureton went frustratingly wide.

“I could have played in goal for what our keeper had to do today. How we’ve drawn that match, I will never know,” sighed Moore.

“Cureton’s probably had the best chance and you’d expect him to finish that.”

EASTLEIGH: Ryan Clarke, Joe Partington, Michael Green, Jason Taylor, Connor Essam, Reda Johnson, Luke Coulson, Andy Drury (Jai Reason, 90), James Constable (Ryan Bird, 75) , Mikael Mandron, Alefe Santos (Jamie Cureton, 75). Subs (not used): Ryan Huddart, Ayo Obileye.

Referee: Alan Young Attendance: 2,341