Paul Booth’s stunning lob rounded off an heroic second-half display by the Lilywhites as they secured a battling 2-1 victory over in-form Eastleigh despite playing for half the game with only ten men after Dale Binns’ controversial dismissal.

For the sixth game in succession City were unchanged, although the red card picked up by ‘keeper Danny Naisbitt in last Saturday’s draw at Lewes meant this was his last game before suspension.

Matt Langston tries to force the ball home following a corner

Eastleigh boss Paul Dowsell has seen the Spitfires soar into the top six on the back of the best current form of any team in the division. Most recently two late Andy Forbes’ goals secured victory over Sutton at Ten Acres.

In near perfect playing conditions on a crisp winter afternoon both teams started in confident mood passing the ball well and probing for an early opening.

City forced the pace in the opening exchanges, Dale Binns’ left wing corner finding Matt Langston whose powerful downward header was flicked on by Robbie Simpson but Wayne Shaw was well placed to collect.

Eastleigh countered through the imposing Steve Forbes who stroked an accurate through ball into the path of Neville Roache, scorer of two goals on his last visit to Milton Road, but the former Basingstoke striker fired over the angle of post and crossbar.

A sweeping move then saw the hosts grab an early lead. Mark Molesley powered forward from deep switching play from right to left where Binns’ first time ball put Paul Booth in behind the Eastleigh defence. Showing good feet City’s leading scorer clipped a perfectly flighted near post centre into Robbie Simpson who glanced a header across Shaw and into the far corner of the net.

The Lilywhites looked to press home their advantage. Simpson rose impressively to head a lofted clearance into the path of Booth who drew his man before playing Craig Dobson in behind Martin Thomas. Dobson sped towards goal but Shaw stood his ground and made a good block with the former Lewes winger looking to add to his two goal haul from last Saturday.

Having shown little as an attacking force up until this point the Spitfires seized on a rare moment of uncertainty in the City rearguard to grab an equaliser. There seemed little danger as Matt Langston rose to deal with Jack Smith’s free kick, delivered from deep on the right hand side, however he and Craig Pope both went for the same header, neither cleared their lines and both were out of the game as the ball dropped invitingly for Australian U21 international Nick Stravroulakis and he made no mistake, chipping over an unprotected Naisbett from ten yards out.

Robbie Simpson is knocked to the ground

The Lilyhites almost regained the lead minutes later. Simpson again dominant in the air, rose to meet Lee Chaffey’s clearance before playing a one-two with strike partner Booth and surging through the inside left channel only to be thwarted by Shaw who was smartly off his line.

Eastleigh’s 3-5-2 formation was by now giving them the edge in midfield with Steve Forbes orchestrating from his central role.

With just under twenty-five minutes on the clock they came close to snatching the lead, Ryan Ashford’s deep corner found Andy Forbes on the far post who headed powerfully back across goal where Craig Pope was well positioned to clear off the line.

Pope was in the thick of the action again when Jack Smith crossed for Steve Forbes but the close attentions of the City full back forced the tall playmaker to fire wide of the target.

Eastleigh’s midfield stranglehold starved City’s strikers of any real service however the incredible workrate of the front two meant that they were still able to carve out openings of their own making. Booth’s measured through ball exploited Simpson’s blistering pace as he accelerated between Thomas and Shaw but the full back recovered to clear at the expense of a corner.

Moments later Booth seized on an under hit back pass and rounded Shaw, but forced away from goal, by the time the former Welling hit-man was in a position to shoot Chris Collins was back in front of goal to clear.

With the regulation 45 minutes complete the game exploded into life as the result of a controversial incident which influenced proceedings for the remainder of the afternoon.

A swift break out of defence saw Dale Binns get the wrong side of visiting skipper Danny Smith. As the City winger sped clear he was impeded by an outstretched arm across his body. A challenge which resulted in referee Comley awarding the hosts a free kick. However, as Binns tried to free himself Smith fell to the floor holding his face. The assistant referee flagged and after consultation Binns was shown a straight red card, presumably for use of the elbow.

To say the decision angered the players, management and supporters of the home side would be something of an understatement as the stewards moved in to escort the officials off the pitch at the interval.

There were no signs in the early stages of the second period that Eastleigh intended to press home their numerical advantage. In fact, Jack Smith and goal scorer Stravroulakis both committed untidy challenges which earned them yellow cards with Mr Comley coming under increasing pressure to maintain order.

Lee Chaffey chases down the ball

The game settled into something of a stalemate. With Robbie Simpson withdrawn to the left to fill in for the departed Binns, Booth was isolated. Eastleigh for their part, were either unable, or unwilling to use their extra man to stretch City’s well organised and well disciplined defence.

Despite a double change just after the hour the visitors were unable to alter the pattern of the game. The Lilywhites grew in confidence as a result and Mark Molesley and Josh Simpson began to see more of the ball in central areas.

When City did find themselves with their backs to the wall Booth and Simpson were still working exceptionally hard to occupy the Eastleigh defenders by chasing a succession of hopeful clearances.

With sixteen minutes remaining Booth was rewarded for his hard work when he chased one such upfield ball through the inside right channel. Showing great pace and strength the twelve goal striker held off Nick Burton and as Shaw raced from his line to avert the danger sent a perfectly executed lob soaring over the ‘keeper and into the back of an empty net. City fans are becoming used to such moments of quality but in the context of this game it was a quite exceptional piece of finishing.

Stung into action Eastleigh pushed forward but as is often the case in these circumstances teams who have not played at a pace and tempo to pose a threat to the opposition goal find it very difficult to move up a gear at such a late stage in the game.

City found themselves defending deeper but aside from a Steve Forbes shot which whistled narrowly wide the Lilywhites rearguard offered Danny Naisbitt such comprehensive protection that he didn’t have a shot to save. In fact it was Booth who came closest to scoring when he collected a flick on from the tireless Robbie Simpson, muscled Thomas off the ball and tried another audacious lob from deep on the left which had Shaw scrambling back to collect from under the crossbar.

The City players deservedly soaked up the applause at the final whistle but if they are to continue to build on a run of only one defeat in the last seven league games they are going to have to do it without two key players who both face three match suspensions.