IT is fair to say that Martin Allen will not forget his first match as Eastleigh manager in a hurry.

The Silverlake Stadium’s new incumbent has been involved in some fabulous FA Cup comebacks before, not least as Brentford manager in a fifth-round tie at St Mary’s 12 seasons ago.

On that occasion League One Brentford, trailing 2-0 to two first-half Henri Camara goals, earned a replay against Harry Redknapp’s Saints.

Allen was grateful for another two-goal comeback yesterday as Eastleigh narrowly avoided an upset in his first game in charge.

The Spitfires are in tomorrow night’s FA Cup third round draw after a madcap second half from Mad Dog’s new charges ended with two-goal Mika Mandron’s dramatic last-minute equaliser.

Eastleigh led 1-0 at half-time through the striker’s 18th-minute opener.

Mandron fired the home side ahead from six yards out after controlling a shot from Jason Taylor following a Jai Reason corner.

Eastleigh were still in control with an hour gone, only for Halifax to turn the game on its head by scoring thrice in 11 minutes.

Halifax No 10 Jordan Sinnott was given room to shoot and responded by equalising with a deflected left-footer, from the edge of the area into the bottom of the far corner, in the 63rd minute.

Then Scott Garner headed in the visitors’ second, after the imposing Tom Denton flicked on a cross from the left, four minutes later.

Sinnott was denied his second in a one-on-one by a diving Ryan Huddart, who was left exposed for all three goals – particularly the third.

Substitute Richard Peniket was gifted possession by a horrible back pass from Alefe Santos and Connor Essam’s slowness to react.

After slotting past Huddart with his left foot to put Halifax 3-1 up, former Wales U21 international Peniket was so ecstatic he bravely peeled off his shirt as he celebrated in front of the away fans, most of whom would have been clad in several layers on what was a bitterly cold day.

Trailing 3-1 after 73 minutes, it looked as though that was that. But the comeback began immediately.

Santos suffered the ignominy of being hauled off within half an hour of coming off the bench.

With Ryan Bird on as a third striker, the Spitfires laid siege to the Halifax goal.

Mandron had a header saved before playing in Scott Wilson with a delightful chip from the left touchline.

Within a minute of Halifax’s third, Wilson beat his marker and fired emphatically into the far corner, setting up the thrilling denouement.

Wilson and Michael Green had further shots saved and a Mandron cross from the left flashed across the face of the Halifax goal.

Peniket produced a similarly worrying moment for Eastleigh and Wilson was denied from point-blank range in the 89th minute before Mandron equalised from inside a packed penalty area.

Reason’s corner from the left was headed skywards by Denton at the near post and with most players from both sides packed in and around a congested six-yard box, Reda Johnson had a couple of stabs at the ball.

Both were blocked during the panic-stricken scramble.

But following a challenge by David Pipe, who was on the ground amidst a tangle of legs, the ball broke to Mandron, who seized on the opportunity by slamming the equaliser into the corner.

No doubt he would like to play Sunderland, the club he joined as a 16 year-old, should Eastleigh win the replay at The Shay a week tomorrow.

Huddart was just as crucial to the Spitfires place in the draw.

The 19 year-old had been persuaded to play following a phone call from Martin Allen on Saturday evening, with Wycombe Wanderers loanee Scott Brown unavailable because of his parent club’s FA Cup win at Chesterfield.

The Arsenal hopeful kept out a deflected Sinnott strike in the first half but his best save came in the third minute of injury time, when he dived low to ensure there was not another twist at the end of a helter-skelter last half-hour.

“Cor blimey,” said a relieved Allen afterwards.

“I don’t suppose anyone would have expected us to come back from 3-1 down.

“Credit to the players for showing great commitment and courage.

“The one key thing I learnt from George Graham, my youth team manager at Queen’s Park Rangers for three years, was you’ve got to stay in cup ties for as long as you can, even if it takes two games and whatever else to win it.

“At least we’re in the hat. With 20 minutes to go no-one expected that.

“Games against Halifax are always tough and they were very competitive and well organised.

“It was a proper effort from our players at the end to make something happen.”

Allen is now preparing his side for two away ties in four days; starting at Harlow in the FA Trophy first round this Saturday.

“There’s room for improvement, that’s for sure,” he said.

“We’re disappointed with some of the goals we’ve conceded, there’s certainly some stuff to work on.

“We’ve got to do better than that and we will. I’m still getting to know the players.

“We had one proper day’s training in preparation for this but we’ll work hard together.

“I’ve come here to give the players some help and guidance.”