EASTLEIGH suffered their third successive friendly defeat against higher league opposition as Salisbury City emerged 2-1 victors at the Silverlake Stadium.

Following home reverses against a Saints XI (0-1) and Woking (2-4), the Spitfires again came off second best as Mikey Harris’s Conference Premier new boys geared up for Saturday’s home opener against Tamworth.

Ben Wright, who had scored all four goals in Salisbury’s midweek win over AFC Bournemouth’s development squad, was at it again on 13 minutes.

This time he cashed in on some fatal hesitation by former Saints academy goalkeeper Jack Dovey to put Whites ahead.

The Spitfires lost midfielder Will Evans to injury before equalising with 36 minutes gone.

Yemi Obubade drove forward from the halfway line before delivering a low cross for Jai Reason to calmly outwit onrushing goalkeeper Will Puddy.

Both teams continued to make chances and it was Salisbury who made one count in the 56th minute when Robbie Sinclair raced onto Theo Lewis’s pass and stroked a right-foot finish across Dovey and inside the post.

Once again, though, it was a promising performance by Eastleigh with Salisbury boss Mikey Harris acknowledging: “It was a competitive game played in the right spirit and a good test for us.”

The Spitfires have one last friendly remaining before kicking off the Skrill Conference South season on Saturday week (August 17) at home to Paul Doswell’s Sutton United.

Richard Hill leads his men to his home county of Oxfordshire this Saturday to take on North Leigh of the Southern One South & West.