MANAGER Richard Hill will resist using a “sticking plaster” as a short-term remedy for Eastleigh’s injury ills.

The Spitfires were down to the bare bones of a squad once again for yesterday's trip to National League leaders Dover Athletic where goals from James Alabi and ex-Silverlake defender Connor Essam consigned them to a 2-0 defeat.

First and foremost, the Eastleigh boss gave full credit to Dover who moved a point clear at the top as a result of the win.

But, much as he has tried to play down the Spitfires’ growing list of walking wounded, Hill admits it’s becoming increasingly difficult to shy away from the “blatantly obvious.”

Although defenders Callum Howe and Andrew Boyce overcame the hamstring issues that kept them out of training until the eve of the Dover trip, Ayo Obileye and Reda Johnson both pulled out.

They joined a lengthy list of absentees already containing Paul McCallum, Michael Green, Graham Stack, Ross Stearn, Ryan Cresswell, Sam Togwell and Sam Wood.

A set-piece goal in each half proved Eastleigh’s undoing at Crabble – on-loan Tranmere striker Alabi scoring at the second attempt following a 32nd-minute long throw and Essam having his header from a corner brilliantly saved by Ross Flitney in the 57th-minute only to hammer in the rebound for his first goal of the season.

The Spitfires might have had a first-half penalty when Gavin Hoyte’s cross appeared to be blocked by a Dover hand but, despite playing some decent football, they couldn’t find a way to infiltrate a solid-looking home defence.

“Dover’s a tough place to go now and, give them credit, they’ve found a way of playing football and winning matches that works for them,” said Hill.

“From our point of view, we’ve got a serious injury list and have had for a period of time now.

“The only players we’ve got fit and available are the ones we had in the dressing room at Dover.

“We’re flogging the same 11, 12 or 13 players every week and it would be nice to get a few back to help the lads out but, at the moment, the cavalry’s not coming over the hill.

“We’re up against it, but the club's not in a position to go out and sign players just for sake of signing them and I've told the chairman I won't do it. I'm not going to put a sticking plaster over things."

With the left-back position particularly hard hit, Hill did sign one new face last week, offering an opportunity to former West Ham and Leyton Orient man Frazer Shaw.

He stepped in for his debut at Dover and acquitted himself well.

“This is the highest level he’s played for a couple of years and he made a tidy debut,” said Hill.

“On that showing, potentially you’d say he’s going to be a good signing for us.

“He tired and started dropping deeper and deeper late in the game, but you’d expect that.”

Eastleigh, 17th, host lowly Barrow this Saturday (3pm).