SUTTON UNITED 1 EASTLEIGH 1.

EASTLEIGH extended their unbeaten Vanarama National League run to four games this afternoon, but were pegged back for a 1-1 draw against Sutton United at Gander Green Lane.

Tyler Garratt gave the Spitfires an interval lead, but Sutton – buoyed by their midweek FA Cup heroics against AFC Wimbledon – levelled through ex-Spitfire Matt Tubbs with 20 minutes to go.

Eastleigh boss Martin Allen made four changes, handing 6ft 4in frontman Darius Henderson and new signing Sam Muggleton their first starts.

The Spitfires got off to a dream opening, seizing the lead from their first attack with six minutes gone.

Former Us favourite Ross Stearn – a Sutton player until moving to the Silverlake in mid-November – delivered from the right and it was young Doncaster Rovers loanee TYLER GARRATT who met it with a header, his first goal for the club.

Armed with the added threat of Muggleton’s long throw, Eastleigh executed their game plan well and, with muscular centre-back Bondz N’Gala in imperious form, defended solidly on Sutton’s 3G surface.

The Us had picked up 29 points from 14 games on their plastic surface but, save for a couple of half-chances for Maxime Biamou – one flashing wide and one comfortably saved by ’keeper Graham Stack – the home side had little to shout about in the first half-hour.

Stack was called into action again on 35 minutes, getting solidly behind a deflected effort by Roarie Deacon.

Mikael Mandron might have doubled Eastleigh’s lead on 43 minutes but, with Louis John in close proximity, the Frenchman shot straight at goalkeeper Ross Worner.

Half-time: Sutton Utd 0 Eastleigh 1.

In a stop-start beginning to the second half, Henderson chested the ball down and volleyed straight at Worner.

The game was crying out for excitement and Sutton injected some on 59 minutes when on-loan Portsmouth midfielder Adam May curled one just wide of the far post.

James Constable replaced Henderson for Eastleigh before Sutton introduced former Spitfires loanee Tubbs and Drissa Traore.

Having survived a scare when Worner tipped away Stearn’s effort for a corner, Sutton shifted through the gears and equalised on 71 minutes – ironically, from a long throw.

One ex-Spitfire Dean Beckwith headed it on before another, TUBBS, forced the ball home.

Two minutes later Eastleigh almost slipped behind, but Biamou headed wide from Kevin Amankwaah’s right-wing cross.

Further opportunities fell to Tubbs and Biamou as the Us finished strongly, but the Spitfires held on for a point in front of a 2,179 crowd.

Next up for play-off chasing Eastleigh is a must-win free entry home game against Macclesfield Town on Tuesday (7.45pm).

Eastleigh: Graham Stack, Hakeem Odoffin, Sam Muggleton, Sam Togwell, Adam Dugdale, Bondz N’Gala, Ross Stearn, Ben Strevens, Mikael Mandron (Ayo Obileye, 87), Darius Henderson (James Constable, 60), Tyler Garratt. Subs: (not used) Michael Green, Jai Reason.