Ten-man Hartlepool United suffered a narrow defeat against Eastleigh at Victoria Park in the Enterprise National League.

Nelson Khumbeni’s injury-time strike snatched the three points for the visitors, with Lee Clark’s side a man down after Neo Eccleston received a second yellow card around the hour mark.

Goalkeeper Max Merrick returned between the posts against the Spitfires after missing out with injury last weekend against Sutton United. Jay Benn and Chris Popov replaced Nathan Sheron and Cameron John in the starting lineup.

Pools started brightly – Popov won the ball inside the Eastleigh box before dragging his effort wide on 10 minutes. Shortly after, Will Harris had a low shot saved by Nick Townsend.

The visitors almost took the lead just past the half-hour mark when Aaron Blair rounded Merrick, leaving an empty goal to fire into, but Brooklyn Ilunga brilliantly stopped the attempt with a goal-line clearance.

Clark’s side were reduced to ten men straight after the break, as Eccleston received a second yellow card for his challenge on Josh Lundstram.

The hosts threatened on 59 minutes when Jamie Miley’s in-swinging corner found the run of Max Kouogun, who headed just over the crossbar.

With seconds remaining of normal time, Jack Nolan cut inside from the right before taking aim, but he could only watch on as his strike deflected narrowly over Townsend’s far post.

Midway through injury time, Pools nearly took all three points – Nolan’s first-time volley fizzed inches wide of the bottom-right corner, after latching onto Jay Benn’s cross.

Inside the final minute of the game, Khumbeni fired into the bottom right corner on the half-volley to secure all three points for Eastleigh.

Pools: Merrick, Benn, Hunter (C), Kouogun, McNally, Ilunga (Sheron 57’), Miley, Harris (Hugill 76’), Eccleston, Popov (Nolan 76’), McKeown (John 46’)

Unused subs: Fisher, Gibson, Bondo.