County will have the opportunity to move up to 3rd place in the National League table on Tuesday night, as we host Eastleigh under the lights at Edgeley Park.
Saturday’s 3-0 FA Trophy win over Larkhall saw us extend our recent winning run to five games in all competitions, three of which have come in the National League. That run has lifted us up to seventh in the league table, eight points behind leaders Halifax with two games in hand, and seven behind Chesterfield having played the same amount of games as The Spireites.
This fixture is one of only two being played in the league on Tuesday night, the other being Chesterfield’s trip to Maidenhead, meaning three points would see us move above Dagenham, Bromley, Notts County and Boreham Wood into our highest league position since the final day of last season.
Eastleigh meanwhile exited the FA Trophy at the weekend after losing 2-1 at Notts County, and in their last league game suffered a heavy 4-0 defeat away at Halifax Town. The Spitfires currently sit 13th in the league table, eight points behind County and a play-off spot at the half-way stage of the season.
Our Opponents:
Eastleigh are now in their eighth successive season in the National League, having been promoted to the fifth tier for the first time in the club’s history in 2014.
The club have twice reached the play-off places in that time, going out in the semi-finals in 2014/15 and 2018/19, and were close to making it a hat-trick last season after finishing in 9th, just three points off the top seven.
That was largely seen as a successful season for Ben Strevens’ team, but despite hopes of building on that this season the Hampshire side suffered a slow start to the new campaign; their only win in their first six games coming against bottom side Dover.
Although their form has steadily improved as the season has gone on, bringing them safely into midtable, they have yet to win more than two league games in a row; a lack of consistency that has so far kept any hopes of the play-offs out of reach.
Their performances away from home has proven to be their Achilles heel so far this season. The side have picked up an impressive 24 points from 12 games at home so far, including a win against Notts County and a draw with Boreham Wood, but only seven points in nine games away from their Silverlake Stadium, and just the five goals scored.
One of their two away victories did come against a high-flying Dagenham & Redbridge side however, and County will need to be wary of their front two partnership of Ben House and Tyrone Barnett, a duo that can prove a handful for any National League defence on their day.
Ben Strevens will be without one of his star men on Tuesday night though, as midfielder Jake Hesketh, an eye-catching Summer signing from Southampton, is suspended following a controversial red card in their win against Weymouth earlier this month.
Last time:
County emerged as comfortable 3-0 winners at Edgeley Park the last time these two sides met, during our 18-game unbeaten run last season.
Will Collar, a man reborn recently, was the star of the show that night, creating the opener in the first-half for Harry Cardwell before getting his first goal for the club shortly after the break with a rocket from the edge of the area.
Alex Reid got a third for County late on, nodding home a James Jennings corner to seal a comfortable win that kept us fourth in the league table, and left Eastleigh a point outside the play-off places.
One to watch:
With Hesketh out suspended, keep an eye out on Tuesday for his midfield partner Tom Whelan. The 25-year-old joined the club in the Summer after successful spells at Weymouth and Chesterfield last season, and has scored four times already.
He will have fond memories of playing at Edgeley Park too, having scored a late winner at the Cheadle End for Weymouth in October 2020.
Match Stats:
- There have been just three previous meetings between County and Eastleigh, with the Hatters winning two and losing one. Both of our victories have come at Edgeley Park.
- Having registered just one assist and no goals in his first 15 appearances of the season, Will Collar now has five goals and five assists in his last five games.
- Both Liam Hogan and Paddy Madden are currently one booking away from a one-match suspension. The cut-off for this is after Saturday’s game against Dagenham.
