Eastleigh Ex-Saints striker Nicky Banger is confident Eastleigh will make their mark on the Ryman Premier Division once their crippling spate of injuries eases up.

Banger himself became the latest victim of the Sparshatts Stadium curse yesterday when he limped off with a hamstring injury after just 15 minutes against Wealdstone.

He then had to suffer on the sidelines as Eastleigh's patched-up troops crashed to their first defeat of the season, 2-1 against a mediocre Middlesex side who had picked up only four points from their opening five games.

The first half had little to recommend it as injury stoppages for both sides outweighed genuine scoring chances.

Eastleigh played in fits and starts and had a strong penalty appeal turned down for handball against Danny Tilbury after 20 minutes. James Stokoe and substitute Andy Forbes had half chances, but only teenager Rob Chamberlain seriously tested the goalkeeper with a well-struck angled shot on 41 minutes which was tipped over by Andy Carter.

Unfortunately it was Chamberlain's loose pass that led to Wealdstone seizing the lead six minutes into stoppage time. Gary McKeown found big number nine Ben Alexander, who coolly planted his shot under diving keeper Colin Matthews.

Eastleigh were stung into action at the start of the second half with Forbes setting up his former Winchester City teammate, Danny Smith, to test Carter with a shot from the edge of the area.

A minute later, Forbes - scorer of 76 goals for Winchester last season - was desperately unlucky when he headed Neil Davis's cross against the bar.

Forbes then cut inside a defender to set Smith up again, but this time his strike was deflected way over.

Wealdstone were always a threat at the other end, however, and on 54 minutes Matthews produced a top-drawer save to turn away Alexander's glancing header.

The visitors also had a penalty shout turned down when Chamberlain appeared to tug down Alexander, but referee Steve Creightonfinally pointed to the spot on 68 minutes when he spotted a push on Forbes from a corner.

Ex-Saints midfielder David Hughes stepped up to bury the kick, having made his usual big impact after going on as a substitute. Just seconds before the penalty, he had unleashed a thunderbolt shot from 20 yards which was magnificently saved by the keeper. For a spell Eastleigh dominated, but it was not to be for Paul Doswell's men. With seven minutes remaining Alexander held off Danny Rofe to squeeze in an angled shot which Matthews miraculously tipped onto the bar.

But Eastleigh couldn't clear the danger and Richard Jolly thrashed home the winner, much to delight of the highly vocal Wealdstone faithful gathered behind the goal

It could have been worse in stoppage time when Alexander broke clean through. Matthews momentarily slipped, but the Wealdstone marksman shot wildly wide.

Banger admitted: "We're making individual mistakes which maybe wouldn't have been punished at the level we were playing at last year.

"But, because of all the injuries, we're asking young lads to do men's jobs and it's a big learning curve for them. We're not dispirited, we're frustrated more than anything, but if we all stick together and battle through this, I'm confident we'll come good when everyone's fit. The good thing is that if we do concede, our heads don't drop - we come back."