EASTLEIGH’S first league game under Martin Allen ended in a dramatic 4-3 defeat at struggling Southport.

Three players were sent off, including Joe Partington and new loan signing Hakeem Odoffin for the Spitfires.

A frustrating afternoon ended with Eastleigh sitting 12th in the Vanarama National League, ten points behind fifth-placed Barrow and 17 shy of new leaders Lincoln City who beat Tranmere 2-1.

In an eventful opening, Southport took a fourth-minute lead through Andrai Jones and had Liam Hynes dismissed eight minutes later for a late lunge on Eastleigh’s latest signing Sam Togwell.

Numbers were evened up after 23 minutes when Partington saw red for sliding in on Neil Ashton and the Sandgrounders doubled their lead on the half-hour when Liam Nolan finished from a tight angle.

Reda Johnson pulled one back for Eastleigh three minutes later, striking amid a goalmouth scramble, but Southport restored their two-goal cushion shortly after half-time when Declan Weeks made it 3-1.

A fightback looked on when James Constable netted Eastleigh’s second, but the visitors found themselves down to nine men in the 69th minute when debut-making Wolverhampton Wanderers loanee Odoffin joined the succession of early baths for bringing down Jones.

The Spitfires’ misery intensified when Ben Strevens had a penalty awarded against him which was tucked away by Jamie Allen for 4-2.

Eastleigh dug in and Constable grabbed his second of the game four minutes from time, latching onto Mikael Mandron’s cross.

They almost had an equaliser in stoppage-time, but Jai Reason shot narrowly wide.

Reason had also gone close in first-half stoppage-time, forcing a superb save out of goalkeeper Magnus Norman.