BEN Stevens insists there will be “no panic stations” at Eastleigh following their 3-0 midweek setback at home to Barnet.

The Spitfires are still well in the National League play-off mix ahead of Saturday's fifth-versus-seventh showdown at AFC Fylde and the boss’s message to his troops is to keep calm and carry on.

Strevens does not need telling that Tuesday’s performance fell way short of the standards that had seen Eastleigh pick up eight wins from their previous ten league games.

Losing skipper Danny Hollands to a straight red card on 42 minutes undoubtedly took its toll, but the Spitfires were already 1-0 down by then after a bright start had inexplicably fizzled out.

Strevens will want to get to the bottom of that ahead of crucial back-to-back away tests at Fylde and leaders Leyton Orient (Tuesday, 7.45pm), but says his team should be judged on their form in general rather than one isolated result.

“It was a bad night for us, but nothing alters where we are in the league,” he said.

“Our destiny is still well and truly in our own hands.

“I don’t like losing any game of football, but the bigger picture is that, with six games to go, we’re in the play-off places and there are another 17 teams who’d swap to be where we are.

“Last time I checked (prior to Tuesday) – and I’m not being disrespectful to Barnet – they were down near the bottom of the league and we’re where we want to be.

“Everyone in this league can beat anyone on any given day.

“We’ve had some bad days, but then so have plenty of other teams at the top and around us.

“With the run we’ve been on – even including this (the Barnet defeat) – we’re probably still top of the form table.

“If you look at our form over the course of a period of time rather individual games, we’ve been brilliant.

“I’m disappointed to lose to Barnet, of course I am, but there’ll be no panic stations from me.

“I know what I’ve got in this group and I wouldn’t swap any of my players.

“It’s about being calm and level-headed now and seeing where we end up.

“I’m still confident we can be where we want to be come the end of the season.”

Hollands' dismissal sidelines him for the next three games, but Eastleigh have defender Reda Johnson and midfielder Joey Jones to come back from injury, while top scorer Paul McCallum got through the whole of the second half against Barnet following a thigh issue.

Fylde have disciplinary issues of their own.

Manager Dave Challinor publicly called for referee Tom Reeves to be stood down this weekend after he dismissed defender Neill Byrne for a second bookable offence in the last minute of Tuesday’s 1-1 home draw with Dagenham & Redbridge.

Having fallen behind, The Coasters hit back through Danny Rowe who, with 26 league goals, is four ahead of McCallum in the race for the golden boot.

The FA Trophy finalists are without a win in their last three outings.