IN a week when chairman Stewart Donald was honest enough to blame himself for most of the problems engulfing Eastleigh, Mark Yeates gave him two good reasons to think that some of his money has been well spent after all.

The 32-year-old Irishman struck both Spitfires goals in yesterday's uplifting 2-1 win at Macclesfield Town that has gone a long way to erasing the memories of that embarrassing midweek defeat to bottom-of-the-table Solihull Moors.

Given that team boss Richard Hill has spent as much time clearing up the mess he inherited as actually managing and coaching this season, chairman Donald felt it only right to defend him ahead of the National League visit to Moss Rose.

Pleading guilty to paying “over-inflated wages” and “making it difficult to attract the right players”, Donald told BBC Radio Solent Sport: “I need to be patient with Richard. I think the majority of fans understand that we can’t keep changing managers like we did last year.

“I can’t keep signing player after player and I can’t just keep throwing money at it, because it’s not working.

“I haven’t got a management team that want to waste my money and, if I’m patient with them, they will spend the money correctly and help us be sustainable.

“Richard had to do that the first time he came in as manager and I am confident he can do it again.”

As if buoyed by those words of support, Hill led his men to one of the results of the season so far.

Having been gifted a 45th-minute opener by Macclesfield’s former AFC Bournemouth goalkeeper Shwan Jalal, Yeates duly doubled the lead five minutes into the second half following neat link-up play with James Constable.

Macclesfield, who had started the day joint top with Dover, responded through Danny Whitehead, but it was too little, too late for the Silkmen.

Praising Yeates’s match-winning contribution, Eastleigh’s assistant manager Andy Hessenthaler said: “Yeatesy’s one of those players that sometimes flits in and out of games, but first-half I thought he was excellent.

“He was a bit fortunate for the first goal where the ’keeper’s made a mistake. Some people might have panicked in that situation, but he didn’t and it just shows that bit of class. He had a touch and put away, and it was another great finish for the second one.”

Today was an outstanding effort,” added Hill’s right-hand man. “It was always going to be difficult, but we came up without any fear and we showed we are together.”

Despite the win, Eastleigh remain 18th and still have some serious work to do – starting with this Saturday’s rearranged home fixture against Chester (3pm).

“We know we’ve got to do better. We’ve not knitted together yet,” said Hessenthaler.

“But the first two games of the season we played the same team and, since then, I think we’ve only done it once.

“We’ve had to change the team so many times, particularly in the back-five area, and I don’t think that’s healthy.

“If you can keep consistency to the side, that helps.”

Hero of the hour Yeates added: “We’ve got as good a group as anyone in the league. Hopefully this will give us belief.”