EASTLEIGH 0 AFC FYLDE 0.

EASTLEIGH didn’t get a desperately needed win after three straight National League losses, but this 0-0 home draw with AFC Fylde was a step in the right direction.

Manager Andy Hessenthaler was pleased with a rare clean sheet against a Coasters side who travelled to Hampshire sitting fifth in the table.

But, once again, he was left to rue the chances that went begging in an open game against good quality opposition.

With Michael Green joining the injury list, Eastleigh switched Danny Hollands to the left-back berth and handed a debut to on-loan midfielder Jack Payne from Ebbsfleet United.

There were some ironic jeers from the home crowd when Fylde skipper Danny Rowe first hit the stanchion of the stand behind the goal and then whacked the ball into the defensive wall after fouls by Oscar Gobern and Mark Yeates had presented them with two early free kicks in dangerous areas.

Instead, it was the Coasters keeper Jay Lynch who was called on to make the first save of the match after five minutes, spreading himself well to block Yeates’s effort after Paul McCallum had pounced on his loose clearance.

On 18 minutes Fylde too easily unlocked the Eastleigh defence with some neat work on the edge of the box but, fortunately for the Spitfires, Jim Kellermann thumped a low drive straight at Graham Stack.

The Spitfires broke swiftly, but Luke Burke’s well-timed challenge snuffed out Yeates’ hopes of a shot.

The Coasters then threatened twice at the other end with Joe Cardle’s shot creeping wide, via a deflection, before Ashley Hemmings’ ambitious overhead kick dipped onto the top of the net.

By and large Eastleigh were defending well against a neat footballing side, but they lacked punch up front.

However, there was a flicker of promise just before half-time when James Constable’s headed flick-on from Mark Yeates’ free kick was cleared behind for a corner.

Then, from a Josh Hare delivery, Paul McCallum headed down into the six-yard box but, with no pressure on the keeper, it was a straightforward take for Lynch.

Half-time: Eastleigh 0 AFC Fylde 0.

Eastleigh haven’t exactly had Lady Luck on their side in recent weeks, so it wasn’t altogether surprising when referee Paul Howard waved away fervent appeals for a penalty after an apparent handball by Neill Byrne.

But they had no one but themselves to blame for spurning a golden opportunity two minutes later.

Everything went like clockwork as Hare delivered deep from the right and picked out the head of McCallum.

The No9 nodded the ball perfectly into the path of unmarked midfielder Cav Miley, but the Jersey youngster got his shot horribly wrong and lashed a glorious chance over.

Almost immediately there was danger at the other end with Danny Philliiskirk’s shot deflecting to Ryan Croasdale whose effort flew straight at Stack.

Suddenly, though, Eastleigh were playing with a far greater sense of purpose with Constable and Hare delivering well from the right while Yeates continued to make a nuisance of himself down the left.

It needed alert defending by Byrne to head one particularly dangerous Constable cross behind for a corner and then new boy Payne tried his luck with an effort from distance which

 sailed over the bar.

On 67 minutes Yeates was involved yet again, haring in from the left after great work by Reda Johnson. But, as the far corner of Lynch’s net opened up for him, his shot was intercepted by the covering defence.

There were shades of the previous home game against Ebbsfleet on 72 minutes when Johnson was booked for an innocuous-looking nudge on Kellermann as the ball was going into touch.

When the Fylde player limped off to be replaced by Gime Toure a couple of minutes later, there were cries of “cheat” from an unimpressed 1,570 crowd who were convinced he had been play-acting.

By now Chris Zebroski had been brought on for Constable and the substitute joined Eastleigh's list of near misses on 83 minutes following a Yeates corner from the right.

McCallum was having his shirt pulled off his back, but still managed to get his head on it, and it came to Zebroski who headed over from close quarters.

There was one late scare for Eastleigh when Rowe volleyed over from a corner, but that would have been cruel on the Spitfires who thoroughly deserved their clean sheet.

Eastleigh: Graham Stack, Josh Hare, Oscar Gobern (Joey Jones, 90), Danny Hollands, Reda Johnson, Alex Wynter, Jack Payne, Cav Miley, Paul McCallum, Mark Yeates, James Constable (Chris Zebroski, 66). Subs (not used): Ross Flitney, Andrew Boyce, Oli Dennett.

Referee: Paul Howard.

Attendance: 1,570