Eastleigh hold off Morecambe to claim three points ahead of FA Cup clash

Credit: Elliot Norton

Eastleigh’s win sees them rise to 12th ahead of their FA Cup game; this win is also their first at home under new manager Scott Bartlett.

The victory ends the team’s three-game winless run, which included two draws and a loss.

The first half lacked any real action as both teams sought to maintain possession of the ball. The home side, Eastleigh, attempted to build up from the back, while Morecambe favoured the long ball over and behind Eastleigh’s back line.

Fans of both teams would need to wait until we got underway for the second half to see any attacking action.

Both of Eastleigh’s goals came from set pieces. Lloyd Humphries stepped up to take a free kick from just outside the box, with it flying past Ex-Chelsea Keeper Jamal Blackman and into the top corner just six minutes into the second half.

Eastleigh got their second just over twenty minutes later as a foul from Ludwig Francillette gifted Eastleigh a penalty. Ciaran McGuckin stepped up and coolly doubled Eastleigh’s advantage. The 21-year-old scored for the second time in four appearances for the club since he joined on loan from Rotherham.

Despite their control of the game, however, Eastleigh failed to keep a clean sheet for the fourth consecutive league game, a worrying statistic ahead of their match against Walsall next Sunday. A long ball over the top caught Eastleigh off guard, and following a deflected cross, Ben Tollitt halved the deficit right at the end of regular time.

Morecambe pushed for a late equaliser but couldn’t find one, as Eastleigh held on to take a much-needed victory. The win was not only a first at home for Scott Bartlett but a much-needed confidence boost for the team ahead of a much more difficult opposition next Sunday.

Eastleigh head coach Scott Bartlett told Winchester News Online:

“Before we scored the second goal, we had two opportunities to score again before that. So we have to make sure that we are a little bit more ruthless in those areas.”