Gavan Holohan and Mark Shelton both found the net as Pools got
back to winning ways with a 2-1 triumph over Eastleigh on a blustery night at
The win saw Pools leapfrog their visitors in the National
League table and nudge them a little closer to the play-off positions with two
long away trips to Dover Athletic and Yeovil Town next up.The strong winds ensured the first half was far from a
classic, with Eastleigh sitting deep behind the ball and Pools struggling to
find the guile to break them down.Ryan Donaldson dragged a shot across goal and wide after Eastleighmade hard work of dealing with a Peter Kioso cross from the right.
There was a blow for Pools on 12 minutes when Michael Raynes
was forced off with injury – Fraser Kerr a ready-made replacement came off the
bench.Pools had the lion's share of the ball as the half developed,
Nicke Kabamba finding space on the edge of the area to shoot but his effort
took a deflection and fell kindly for visiting keeper Max Streyjek.Gavan Holohan then drove infield with the ball from the left
and found room to let fly but his powerful low shot flashed across goal and
wide.Donaldson came up with the half's only shot on target right
at the end when he wriggled in to space twenty-five yards out but his well-struck
shot was down Stryjek's throat.Pools came out with more intent at the start of the second
period and went in front on 51 minutes when a deep cross from the right was spilled
by Kryjek and Holohan was in the right place to volley home his eighth goal of
the season.However, the lead lasted less than a minute as Eastleigh responded
immediately to level, taking advantage of some hesitant defending and scoring
thanks to a ferocious finish from Sam Smart.Challinor's men had to rediscover their belief and go again
to seal the win, and the crucial goal arrived on 67 minutes. Holohan
brilliantly skipped past two men down the left before feeding Mark Kitching to
the byline and his low cross was gleefully rammed home by Shelton.Pools could even have made it 3-1 a minute later when another
ball in from the right fell for Gus Mafuta but he cannoned a shot off the crossbar
and Eastleigh survived.The visitors mustered little by way of a second comeback
though and Pools held on to clinch three points and push themselves back closer
to the top seven as the business end of the season approaches.Full Time: Pools 2 Eastleigh 1
Pools: Beeney, Kioso, Liddle, Raynes (Kerr 12 (Anderson 75)), Kitching, Mafuta, Featherstone, Shelton, Holohan, Donaldson, Kabamba.
Subs not used: Kennedy, Hamilton, Molyneux.
Eastleigh: Stryjek, Partington, McKnight, Payne, Rendell, Barnett, Smart, Bearwish, Wynter, Miley, Hollands.
Subs not used: Flitney, Scorey, Waterfield, Beale.
Attendance: 2,478 (19 Eastleigh)
Referee: Simon Mather