Trophy exit piles on the misery

Eastleigh 1, Histon 4

Eastleigh's FA Trophy second round exit against classy Histon underlined a worrying time for the Dr Marten's League new-boys, who conceded 12 goals in three successive defeats, writes Malcolm Clarke.

Paul Doswell's side were looking for Trophy success after their early September FA Cup blip, but were unable to arrest the slide against a slick, well-organised Histon team, defeated only once this season, by Woking in the FA Cup first round proper.

But the spectre of recent defeats by Salisbury and Burgess Hill Town loomed large as Eastleigh collapsed after a goal-less first half.

They feared at first a fourth-minute floodlight failure might wreck proceedings altogether.

Smoke wafted into the stand when one of the bulbs blew - but play resumed after a short stoppage.

Playing neat, passing football on a slippery surface, Eastleigh made most of the early running with Histon keeper Paul Barber turning away a rasping half-volley by Tyronne Bowers.

Paul Sales just failed to get in a clean header and former Saints reserve man Ryan Ashford drove wide but Histon's pressure gradually grew, with Matthews tipping over a fine 30-yard effort from Adie Cambridge.

Histon's pressure eventually paid off seven minutes into the second-half - Matthews parrying a shot from Ian Cambridge and Neil Andrews following up to tap in the rebound.

Eastleigh hit back with Sales just off target from 20 yards, but it was Histon who got the game's crucial second goal with Jamie Barker unleashing a low shot into the bottom corner to climax a splendid solo run.

With ten minutes reamining, Nick Banger clawed one back for Eastleigh, glancing home a header from Ashford's well-flighted free-kick.

But all hopes of Eastleigh launching a grandstand finish were dashed when Barker's cross picked out the unmarked Neil Kennedy, who burried Histon's third past Matthews.

Three minutes from the end, Kennedy struck again to complete Doswell's afternoon of woe.

There was some cheer for Eastleigh on Wednesday night when they beat Newport 1-0. They had been reduced to ten men early on after Danny Woods was sent off. But Eastleigh battled on with on the long arms of Newport keeper, Simon Arthur, blocking Paul Sales' shots on goal. In the dying seconds of the match, former Saint Ryan Ashford fed the ball to Robbie Marshall who headed the winner.

Grandstand plans delayed after late change in FA rules

Eastleigh have postponed their planning application for a new 496-seater grandstand at the Sparshatts Stadium, after the Football Association changed its rules.

Eastleigh Council said the club had asked for the application to be deferred, and it was crossed off the agenda for last week's meeting of Eastleigh local area committee.

The FA's rule changes affect the facilities that clubs have to provide to play in the Eastern Division of the Dr Martens League, including numbers of seats.

"It seems they don't have to provide quite so many now, so the club's having a re-think," a council spokesman said.