EASTLEIGH are up to third in the Blue Square Conference South after yesterday's 1-0 win at Dorchester.

But you won't find team boss David Hughes going overboard with optimism just yet, writes WENDY GEE.

Summer signing Warren Ryan settled matters with a firm downward header in the second minute of first-half stoppage time after the Magpies' keeper Darren Bechet had failed to cut out Damian Scannell's far-post cross.

After the struggles of last season, four wins out of five is a handsome return for the new-look Spitfires, but Hughes is remaining cautious for the time being.

"It's a good start, but no more than that," he said.

"Apart from the defeat at Bath, we've shown endeavour and commitment and that's all I ask for.

"If we carry on doing that, we give ourselves the best possible chance of getting results.

"The Dorchester win was very pleasing. Rather than play a basic 4-4-2, they played three and sometimes four up front and it took us half an hour to get used to it.

"But a lot of their stuff was played in front of us and they flattered to deceive a bit."

Apart from Ryan's goal, Eastleigh's best two chances at The Avenue Stadium fell to their frontline pairing of Paul Sales and Andy Forbes - but both were thwarted by Bechet's heroics.

"Their keeper's pulled off two Gordon Banks-esque saves," said Hughes.

With Eastleigh defender Rob Marshall having failed a late fitness test on a medial ligament strain, Ian Oliver returned at left-back while ex-Saints academy player Luke Byles was switched to central defence.

After a lively start, defences got on top and it was left to Eastleigh wingman Scannell and the Magpies' Charlie Henry to do most of the creative work.

Henry brought a fingertip save out of Eastleigh keeper James Pullen on 28 minutes and then Bechet did better still with a tremendous stop to deny Sales's header from a Scannell cross.

Both teams had their chances in the second half and it needed another piece of brilliance by Bechet to keep Eastleigh out, this time thwarting Forbes.

The Magpies had one final threat in stoppage time but Alex Browne's header was cleared off the line, giving elated Eastleigh a fourth clean sheet in five games.

l HAVANT & Waterlooville led twice away to high-riding Eastbourne Borough, but were forced to settle for a 2-2 draw.

Shaun Wilkinson put the visitors ahead two minutes before half time when he latched onto a weak clearance after a corner, but defending set pieces was to prove Hawks' undoing.

Early in the second half, Andy Ballard's corner swung in for Paul Armstrong to finish.

And although Leroy Griffiths put the Hawks ahead again, burying Tony Taggart's cross for his first goal in his first start for the club, Andy Atkin levelled from another Borough corner with eight minutes to go.

"It's always disappointing to concede from set-pieces but, at the start of the day, we would have taken a point," said Hawks' boss Ian Baird.

"Eastbourne are a big, strong, well-organised side and they'll feature this season."

l Basingstoke Town came a cropper 2-0 at Newport County - Jason Bowen giving the Welshmen a seventh-minute lead and Nathan Davies doubling it after 35.