EASTLEIGH are working hard to get some new faces into the camp after  tonight’s bitterly disappointing 2-1 Vanarama National League defeat at Gateshead.

It’s two months and counting since the success-starved Spitfires last tasted victory and chairman Stewart Donald admitted: “It all feels a bit flat and the squad needs a lift. We need two or three new players in.

“We’re close to an agreement with one and we’re hoping for some good news tomorrow.”

Positive news was in short supply this evening as another poor first-half performance gave Eastleigh a mountain to climb at the Gateshead International Stadium.

Dire defending cost them two goals in the space of six disastrous minutes.

The first was well worked by Gateshead with Josh Gillies laying the ball off for Paddy McLaughlin to find the far corner in the 19th minute.

Michael Poke then made an excellent save to deny CJ Hamilton, but Ryan Bowman netted the follow-up for 2-0.

Former Portsmouth keeper Poke pulled off two more top-drawer stops to deny Hamilton and McLaughlin and Michael Green made a goalline clearance before the Spitfires hit back with a 25-yard Josh Payne ‘worldy’ into the top corner with ten minutes to go.

But although the visitors piled on the late pressure, the sorry statistics read that Eastleigh are down to eighth, having lost three on the bounce and gone seven league games – and ten in total - without a win.

It’s the third time this season that Gateshead have beaten them, having won 2-1 at the Silverlake in the league and FA Trophy. The Tynesiders have leapfrogged Eastleigh into sixth.

It won’t get any easier for the Spitfires this weekend with a trip to second-placed Forest Green Rovers beckoning.

Donald, co-commentating at Gateshead on BBC Radio Solent, admitted: “If you’re ambitious and you want to achieve things, you can’t go on runs like this. We’ve got to turn it round - and turn it round quickly.”