EASTLEIGH manager Richard Hill insists a win over League One Reading will be crucial to ensure the club continues its upward momentum.

The Spitfires are set to take on the Royals, managed by Ruben Selles, in the FA Cup second round in front of a packed-out Silverlake Stadium.

Speaking to the media ahead of the game, Hill outlined how everyone will need to perform at their best to beat the League One side.

He insisted: "For some of the older lads, this will be the last time they experience anything like this.

"The younger ones have to embrace it and make sure they feel it again. Hopefully, we all turn up. The players need to turn up, the staff, myself, everyone.

"We need to be ready because it'll be a tough game. If we were to play Reading 10 times they'd beat us nine times, without a doubt. We need to make sure they don't beat us in the tenth.

"We need to be ready to play smart and to make good decisions. This has to be an occasion for everybody involved with Eastleigh Football Club.

"It's going to be a good occasion for the football club, but it will only be a great occasion if we win the game."

Eastleigh have built a temporary stand at the Silverlake to accommodate the high demand for tickets.

The club are hopeful that the game, which is also being broadcast on ITV 1, could act as a launching pad to take Eastleigh to the next level in terms of local interest. 

"We want this attention to continue," Hill added. "I'm not too great with the attention, but as a club we want it to continue. 

"If we are not in a position where we have won, the attention will go away. This is all a part of the growth of the club.

"Defining success by a win is the only way you can do it. What we want to do is make sure that we don't fall short and make it the 'big day out' that was good while it lasted.

"We need to make sure that we are competing for the whole 95-100 minutes. If we don't win on Sunday then we haven't been successful."

Hill continued: "What we also need is the people of Eastleigh, Southampton, and the surrounding areas wanting to come to our games.

"If after Sunday we can get another 50-100 fans then that is great. It's all a part of the pathway to hopefully attract 3,500 people if we do get to the Football League.

"I've said for a long time that this club should be in the EFL. Stewart (Donald) has put a lot of money into the club over the years."