Jason Dodd praised Eastleigh's new signing Carl Wilson-Denis after getting his Conference South managerial career off to a solid start with a 1-1 draw at high-riding Bishop's Stortford.

With frontman Jamie Brown serving a three-match ban and facing more punishment for his midweek dismissal in the Hampshire Senior Cup, the Spitfires have snapped up Wilson-Denis for the rest of the season from Conference South rivals Havant & Waterlooville.

It took just 23 minutes for the new man to make his mark, heading home an excellent cross from Darren Wheeler.

But the Bishops were back on terms three minutes later when Rob Gillman rose to meet Dave Collis's free kick.

And they thought they had won it late on, but Paul Goodacre's strike was disallowed.

Praising Wilson-Denis's contribution, Dodd said: "Carl worked himself into the ground.

"It was a fantastic run and cross from Darren Wheeler that set up the goal and Carl won't get a simpler header.

"But he came in and worked the channels fantastically well and held the ball up, which is just what we needed."

Eastleigh also gave a debut to central defender Karim El Sahali, signed on a month's loan from Conference National outfit Woking, while youth team graduate Ben Bosley went on as a substitute.

Full story: See today's Daily Echo