EX-SPITFIRE Pierce Bird made a nightmare return to the Silverlake after lifting a bizarre own-goal over his keeper and into the top corner from 25 yards out literally seconds after kick-off – but the drama didn’t end there.
Eastleigh picked up their first point of the National League season in a dramatic 3-3 draw with King’s Lynn Town at the Silverlake Stadium.
New signing Harry Pritchard had compounded that goal with his left-footed shot from outside the area, before Michael Clunan fashioned one back and Ethan Coleman completed a comeback that looked near-impossible for the entirety of the first-half.
But Ben House leapt to sweep a glancing header home and look to secure all three points for manager Ben Strevens’ side, before a stunning free-kick from Brett McGavin levelled with minutes to spare.
Strevens opted to continue with his five-at-the-back system that saw two Bank Holiday defeats at the hands of Wrexham and Bromley, with the talented midfielder Pritchard filling in at left-wing-back.
After finding themselves two up after just nine minutes, partly thanks to that rush to the head of the Spitfires’ rock at the back from just last season, Bird, they were able to ease into the game.
Ryan Hill had put the King’s Lynn number five under pressure and with Paul Jones rushing out to help, unawares to Bird, he fired it into his own goal, before Pritchard was afforded too much time on the edge of the box by a shellshocked defence.
A counter-attack from Hill and wicked fired-cross from ex-Saint Jake Hesketh saw House almost add a third in a dominant first-half – that saw four yellow cards handed out by referee Daniel Lamport.
Clunan should have pulled one back for the visitors before the break after keeper Joe McDonnell spilled inside the area and the ball eventually came the early substitute’s way, but his close-range volley squirmed wide.
Bird was hooked at half-time and King’s Lynn pulled back one goal within the first five of the second period, Clunan’s effort from long-range deflecting off Cav Miley low and out of McDonnell’s reach.
Then from a similar range with just twenty to play, Coleman was not closed down anywhere near convincingly enough and could pull a right-footed shot low into the far corner – the same destination their first had arrived at.
What looked like a confident and free-flowing Spitfires side had become a deep, static shell of the dynamic, fluent shape it had previously exhibited.
Hill’s trickery inside the area allowed him to fire a snap-shot at goal, on the turn, but it arrowed past the post.
But it was House who should have won it late, rising highest to nod home Pritchard’s cross after a Town defender had humorously chased back with no boot on following a tackle – the referee waved play on.
Michael Kelly and Andrew Boyce then had a defensive mix-up which saw the latter bring an attacker down, narrowly avoiding a red card as the last man, and McGavin struck gold with a powerful free-kick into the roof of the net.
Eastleigh FC XI: McDonnell; Hare, Maghoma, Boyce, Kelly, Pritchard; Miley, Whelan, Hesketh (70’); Hill (80’), House
Subs: Low, Torniainen, Smart (80’), Whitehall (70’), Flitney (g/k)
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