Eastleigh v Bath City

SATURDAY 5th JANUARY 2008

BLUE SQUARE SOUTH

For the neutral, this top of the table clash could not have been any better; boasting eight goals, a sending off, two penalty kicks, a hattrick and an unlikely comeback from the 10 men of visiting Bath City. 

Eastleigh though have every reason to be disappointed in coming out with just a point thanks to one abysmal decision two minutes from time that ultimately robbed them of a second successive victory. 

Naming an unchanged side from the starting eleven who won an equally enthralling goal-fest on New Years Day (4-3 away to Basingstoke Town), the Spitfires introduced a new hero to their home fans in the form of Mark Marshall who made his home debut. 

Following the departure of Scannell to Southend United, Marshall has come in on an initial one month’s loan from Grays and having made an instant impact with the fourth goal in midweek, made a grand entrance with two excellent goals and a solid performance at the Silverlake Stadium. 

All afternoon Marshall tormented the Bath City full back Gethin Jones. From the very start Jones just knew he was in for a torrid afternoon as Marshall flew past him and two others effortlessly in the opening minute of the game. The tiny figure that possesses so much pace, got to the byline but the cross unfortunately went behind and out for a goal kick. 

Skipping his way round The Romans defence once more just a moment later, Marshall received a pleasant round of applause from the home fans who seemed to be on the edge of their seats every time he went near the ball. 

Andy Forbes and David Hughes combined to good effect in the fifth minute down the right hand side and when the ball came in, the best the back-pedalling centre half Adie Harris could manage was to header into the path of Paul Sales. The in-form Eastleigh striker let the ball bounce before striking on the half volley from the edge of the area, though Paul Evans in the Bath City goal was more than comfortable in dealing with the effort. 

City’s Harris made an important last ditch tackle two minutes later to thwart Peter Adeniyi who had ventured forward but perhaps waited too long in getting a shot away. 

Inside ten minutes, Eastleigh had opened the scoring through PAUL SALES. A hopeful cross from Andy Forbes on the right, was sent to the back post. It was one, which Gethin; the City right back should have easily dealt with. Instead he stumbled presenting Sales with an easy chance to find the net from close range to capitalise. 

In the very next attack the Spitfires found themselves two goals to the good. Anthony Riviere was unselfish in front of goal opting to play the ball to his left for MARK MARSHALL to slot home side-footed. This simple goal from a well-worked opening putting Eastleigh well and truly in the driving seat. 

At the opposite end, a neat exchange between Steve Jones and Dave Gilroy saw the ball sprayed out to the right hand side where Darren Edwards had plenty of time and space, but fired over the top. 

Andy Harris and Karim El-Salahi were well placed to cut out a cross from Edwards, not long after City’s first real chance of note, to concede a corner kick. 

Adam Everitt fired a free kick narrowly wide of the post from 25 yards after David Hughes was brought down by Adie Harris, before the visitors were able to get a foot back in the door so to speak through a penalty kick. 

The ball was flicked around the corner by Justyn McKay and struck the Eastleigh defender Everitt in the midriff. A penalty was given by Matty McLaughlin the match referee, harshly so in my humble opinion. 

None the less DAVE GILROY stepped up and made no mistake nestling the ball into the bottom right hand corner with a confident penalty kick to give his side a way back into the game. 

Meanwhile, Mark Marshall was still posing all kinds of problems as Eastleigh came flying back. Sure enough the pacy wide player got behind the Bath City defence with electric pace and a devastating run before chipping into the middle where ANTHONY RIVIERE restored Eastleigh’s two goal advantage running in to the area to connect with the cross and turn home. 

Wasting precious little time in search of keeping things this way, Eastleigh very nearly found a way through with a quickly taken free kick by Hughes. Forbes glanced the ball towards goal with a powerful header and was denied by Evans. 

Bath City from a similar situation of their own looked to cause a threat with a deep free kick that was sent across into a packed penalty area. The ball was headed on at the back post but Scott Rogers was unable to make the most of this opportunity just two yards out as Gareth Howells saved bravely at the midfielder’s feet. 

Forbes, Riviere and Sales all took knocks in quick succession, none of which were serious but ensured the club’s physio had her work cut out! 

Three minutes before the break, Peter Adeniyi’s quick feet and improvisation in front of goal forced a late first half corner, from which a sharp header from Luke Byles had to be punched over the cross bar by Evans – an excellent, instinctive reaction save from the Bath goalkeeper. 

Deep into injury time there was still time for Eastleigh to stamp their authority on the proceedings. Anthony Riviere stabbed towards goal from an Everitt long throw but had his effort hacked away before the former Fisher Athletic midfielder was fouled marginally outside the area. 

Andy Harris the Eastleigh skipper went for goal with a stinging effort that looked to be heading for the top corner where Evans flapped away to evade the danger bringing to a close a very good half of football from Eastleigh’s perspective. 

HALF TIME – Eastleigh 3-1 Bath City

The second half brought yet more entertainment. 

Both sides made an early change with Jason Wood replacing Scott Rogers immediately for the visitors and then four minutes later Eastleigh’s first substitution saw Paul Sales make way for Matt Hann. 

Gilroy had the first opportunity of the half with Dave Gilroy curling an attempt just wide of the upright from the left side of the penalty area. 

Darren Edwards hit a weak shot low towards goal on 59 minutes, which Gareth Howells saved comfortably. 

The game took a further twist on the hour mark as Jason Wood was given his marching orders for a late challenge on Luke Byles. The substitute, who had been on the pitch just fifteen minutes, was shown a straight red card after the referee discussed the incident with his assistant on the near side. 

Typically, it was the ten men of Bath City who rallied and reduced the arrears minutes after the sending off. Defender CHRIS HOLLAND was given a free header from a corner kick, and planted it downward and into the back of the net with Howells left standing. 

A speculative long-range effort from David Hughes flew comfortably high and wide of goal for the hosts’ first real effort of the second forty-five. 

A tactical change saw Matt Hann switch to the left flank and the tricky Mark Marshall push forward to a more advanced position as a striker alongside Andy Forbes. 

After a brief scare with shouts for a penalty kick against Everitt, Eastleigh came forward with the pace of Marshall who was upended twenty yards from goal. This possibly the only way to deal with this special talent? MARK MARSHALL fought off competition from his skipper Andy Harris for the responsibility to take it as he fired an unstoppable free kick, curled expertly into the roof of the net for his second of the afternoon, his third goal for the club in two games. 4-2, fifteen minutes remaining. 

Matt Hann, dribbling across the pitch from left to right was unable to find a way through despite getting a clean strike in to end the run as the centre back stood his ground to make an important block. 

On a hattrick, Marshall fired a whisker away from goal with a low drive that went just wide of the post following a square pass from Riviere. 

With five minutes to go, a surging run from Chris Holland resulted in a neat exchange in the box, and DAVE GILROY sliding the ball under the onrushing goalkeeper to make it 4-3. 

It was still not over as McLaughlin of Luton handed Bath City a lifeline with two minutes remaining with an abysmal decision. Extremely controversial to say the least, Gilroy appeared to jump into Riviere if anything but a penalty was awarded. Eastleigh can feel extremely hard done by as DAVE GILROY stepped up to dispatch his second spot kick of the afternoon and his hattrick goal past Howells with a confident floated finish straight down the middle. 

The last kick of the game saw Matt Hann connect with a well-executed volley in full flight that just evaded finding the target. The damage had been done and Eastleigh’s failure to close the game down cost them dear, albeit with more than a little help from the referee. 

FULL TIME – Eastleigh 4-4 Bath City 

JAMIE MONTIGUE