EASTLEIGH 2 BARROW 0.

IT’S taken more than four months arriving, but Eastleigh’s torturous wait for a home win is over at last.

It was way back on October 25 when the Spitfires last savoured success at the Silverlake against Torquay United.

But the smiles finally returned to Stoneham Lane this afternoon as an exquisite Sam Togwell strike and a cheeky piece of opportunism by returning striker Matt Tubbs put paid to eighth-placed Barrow 2-0.

It was Eastleigh’s first victory of 2017 and will go a long way towards banishing any fears of being dragged into the National League relegation zone.

The Spitfires made five changes to their starting line-up, including Richard Hill’s first three signings since returning to the club. Eastleigh old boys Paul Reid and Tubbs took their place in defence and attack respectively, while midfielder Ryan Burge, released from Sutton United in December, was also drafted straight into the side.

With Michael Green immediately menacing down the left, Tubbs had a half-chance to re-open his club account just two minutes in, while at the other end, Inih Effiong hooked the ball past recalled Eastleigh goalkeeper Graham Stack, who had raced to the edge of his area, but the ball drifted well wide and Reda Johnson cleared.

After a couple of dangerous free kicks for either side, Stack inexplicably failed to collect Shaun Beeley’s routine cross and, for the second time in five minutes, Eastleigh’s defence were forced to scramble the ball clear.

The Spitfires, though, persisted with that outlet down the left and on 20 minutes their pressure paid huge dividends as skipper Sam Togwell opened the scoring with a cracking finish.

Under-pressure Barrow keeper John Flatt looked to have dealt with the danger as he first punched away Green’s probing left-wing delivery before repelling Ben Close’s follow-up with his feet.

But Eastleigh refused to let the visitors off the hook and when the ball was played out to TOGWELL just outside the right corner of the area, the former Barnet man met it with a sublime first-time strike that arrowed into the far top corner. What a way to score his first goal for the club!

With the Spitfires battling for every ball, they were comfortable until the 29th minute when Stack lost his grip on Nick Anderton’s deep cross from the left. But he was under unfair pressure from long-limbed defender Moussa Diarra and a free-kick was awarded against the Barrow man.

With new signing Burge and on-loan Portsmouth midfielder Close showing up well for Eastleigh, it took Barrow until the 43rd minute to muster their first real shot, lashed into the side netting by Jordan Williams after Anderton’s throw-in had been nodded on.

By bringing back old favourites Eastleigh boss Hill emphasised this week that he wanted players who cared about the football club.

And it was a tribute to the first-half effort the Spitfires had put in that they were warmly applauded off the field at half-time by an appreciative 2,039 crowd.

Half-time: Eastleigh 1 Barrow 0.

The second half got off to an extraordinary start as Eastleigh doubled their lead in bizarre fashion through, of all people, Tubbs, who had scored just twice during an ill-fated loan spell with the club last season.

Quite what Bluebirds goalkeeper Flatt was thinking when he slammed his attempted clearance straight into the striker, who was hovering less than a yard away, only he will know.

But the ball rebounded straight off the Spitfires man and broke loose, leaving TUBBS with the easy chance of depositing into an unguarded net.

Flatt looked shell-shocked and embarrassed as he made his way over to the linesman who dismissed his protests. Inevitably the on-loan Wolves man trudged back to his goal to chants of “dodgy keeper.”

That setback belatedly brought Barrow to life and, after Alex Ray-Harvey had steered a free-kick wide, Williams’ low strike was stopped by Stack.

On 61 minutes Eastleigh’s keeper was tested by another high ball into the box and this time he did really well to tip the towering Diarra’s header behind for a corner.

Hill freshened up his side just after the hour with Ben Strevens replacing Burge and Tubbs walking off to a rousing reception as Scott Wilson came into the fray.

Five minutes later Wilson summoned up a moment of magic that so nearly had the Spitfires in dreamland.

Picking the ball wide left, he skipped past two Barrow defenders and was desperately unlucky not to find the far top corner.

With all three subs on, the Bluebirds came again with Akil Wright slamming a long-range effort into the side netting, but this was to be Eastleigh’s day.

Eastleigh: Graham Stack, Gavin Hoyte, Michael Green, Paul Reid, Reda Johnson, Ryan Burge (Ben Strevens, 64), Ben Close, Sam Togwell, Craig McAllister, Matt Tubbs (Scott Wilson, 65), Hakeem Odoffin. Subs (not used): James Constable, Ayo Obileye, Ryan Clarke.

Referee: Neil Hair.

Attendance: 2,039