EASTLEIGH 1 DAGENHAM & REDBRIDGE 0.

EASTLEIGH'S long wait for a Saturday home win finally ended this afternoon as they pulled off a dramatic, late 1-0 victory over Dagenham & Redbridge at a soggy Silverlake Stadium.

With BT Sport cameras present for the lunchtime kick-off, Alex Wynter took centre stage with an 89th-minute header from Mark Yeates’ corner.

The defender shared top billing with Eastleigh’s new on-loan goalkeeper Max Stryjek who picked up the man-of-the-match award after saving Chike Kandi’s late first-half penalty for the Daggers.

With Michael Green returning from injury, the Spitfires introduced Joey Jones into a back three, giving Green and Josh Hare licence to push on as wing-backs.

It was all Eastleigh in the opening minutes as they looked to make early inroads against a Dagenham side who had lost four out of five league games on the road.

But it was the Daggers who had the first real sight of goal with nine minutes gone when, having been shoved by Reda Johnson just outside the box, Tomi Adeloye curled the free-kick harmlessly wide of Stryjek’s left-hand post.

With the visitors now coming into the game, Eastleigh found themselves on the defensive as Adeloye quickly earned his side another free-kick.

Things then levelled out again with the Spitfires using their width to work the ball into the box at every opportunity, trying to seek out targetman Paul McCallum.

It almost paid dividends on 21 minutes when, following determined work by Hare and Mark Yeates on the right, the latter stood up a cross to the back stick which was marginally too high for the rising McCallum.

Ex-Saint Oscar Gobern then found Hare down the same flank and his low cross-shot was deflected behind for a corner as the Eastleigh pressure mounted.

But a couple of lapses in concentration by the home side allowed Dagenham back into the game and Eastleigh were so nearly punished on 28 minutes.

Following a mistake by Gobern, Adeloye twisted and turned his way into the area only to drag a glaring opportunity wide.

Stryjek then made his first save of the game, getting his 6ft 2in frame firmly behind Will Wright’s strike from distance as rain continued to lash down at the Silverlake.

Eastleigh found themselves in trouble once again in the 43rd minute when Chike Kandi capitalised on another error and pulled the ball back for Adeloye who this time had his shot charged down by Wynter.

Green was booked for sliding in on Kandi from behind and, with Eastleigh still under pressure following the free-kick, the Daggers were awarded a 45th-minute penalty for Gobern’s foul on skipper Matt Robinson.

Kandi stepped up to the spot and, as the 1,538 crowd collectively held their breath, Sunderland loan keeper Stryjeck made an instant hero of himself, diving low to his right to save.

With that scare behind them, Eastleigh went back on the attack in stoppage time and big centre-back Johnson came within a whisker of getting his head to Yeates’s beautifully flighted delivery from deep on the left.

Half-time: Eastleigh 0 Dagenham & Redbridge 0.

The Spitfires found themselves pushed back again at the start of the second half with Adeloye having one dangerous, low delivery scrambled clear and then forcing a routine save from Stryjek.

Payne and McCallum were both booked after sliding in on an increasingly slippery surface and then Eastleigh boss Andy Hessenthaler made his first roll of the dice, withdrawing Gobern and sending on Chris Zebroski to share the frontline load with McCallum.

Zebroski’s presence immediately gave the Daggers defence more to think about and, when Elliott Justham found himelf flanked by both strikers as Green’s floated cross came in, the Daggers keeper was unable to claim the ball.

Yeates had a shot charged down by Wright amid mayhem in the visitors’ area and Dagenham cleared only as far as Payne who fizzed an effort narrowly over from 25 yards.

Zebroski's first attempt at goal went wide before, with challenges getting ever clumsier in difficult conditions, ex-Spitfire Gavin Hoyte was yellow carded for a foul on Zebroski.

Wynter then joined Eastleigh’s list of ‘sinners’ for his challenge on Adeloye, who was replaced by Lamar Reynolds on 70 minutes.

Chances followed at both ends with the impressive Stryjek saving competently from Reynolds after Eastleigh had got themselves in trouble at the back and then the Spitfires denied by an even better stop at the other end.

Hare delivered a thumping, low cross from the right which McCallum sent goalwards but, from point blank range, Justham managed to keep it out with his legs.

The Spitfires kept pouring forward, but Justham denied them again, getting his hands behind Johnson’s header from Yeates’s corner. Then, after James Constable had replaced Payne, McCallum’s shot was blocked after more good work by the excellent Yeates.

With the Daggers' goal living a charmed life, Constable volleyed just over as Eastleigh piled bodies into the box for yet another corner.

Something surely had to give – and it finally did in the 89th minute when the Spitfires grabbed the goal their hard work deserved.

Predictably, that man Yeates was involved, delivering a corner from the left and it was WYNTER, coming up from the back, who climbed highest to net a superb header and secure Eastleigh their first Saturday home league win since January 27.

Unfortunately the match ended on a bizarre note when McCallum, already booked, stuck out a leg towards Daggers No3 Liam Gordon. He made no contact whatsoever, but referee Peter Gibbons viewed it as intent and reached in his pocket for the yellow and then red card, much to the No9’s dismay.

Eastleigh: Max Stryjek, Josh Hare, Michael Green, Jack Payne (James Constable, 83), Reda Johnson, Alex Wynter, Joey Jones, Oscar Gobern (Chris Zebroski, 56) Paul McCallum, Mark Yeates (Ollie Dennett, 90), Cav Miley. Subs (not used):Andrew Boyce, Danny Hollands.

Attendance: 1,538.

Referee: Peter Gibbons.