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| Calmer skies over The Silverlake Stadium |
The weather played havoc with the fixtures on the last
weekend of 2013 (something of the theme that would sadly be repeated over the
next couple of weekends). Eastleigh is one of the last few grounds I have left
to visit in The Conference South and I had enjoyed my numerous visits to
Hampshire this season. Eastleigh were sitting in second place, ten points
behind leaders Bromley but with two games in hand. Bath were placed just
outside of the play offs also with games in hand on the teams around them.
Earlier in the season, Eastleigh claimed a one nil away at Bath.
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| Kick off |
Eastleigh have the first chance of the game and
unfortunately for them the forward puts the ball well over the bar. Bath then
get in to a good position on the wing but the cross is too strong and misses
everyone. Eastleigh then have another
chance but the ball bends just wide from the edge of the area. Eastleigh take
the lead midway through the half with a towering header from a great cross in
to the box. This sparks Bath in to life and Eastleigh just about manage to
scramble the ball away after a good ball in to the area. They then come even
closer when an effort from the edge of the box is cleared off the line. The
Eastleigh keeper then comes to the home sides rescue as he saves when the
visitors break the offside trap. Bath do eventually claim a deserved equaliser
when the ball is prodded home from a ball out on the left wing. Eastleigh think
they’ve retaken the lead just before the break but the goal is disallowed.
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| The Eastleigh players celebrate the opening goal |
Bath City have the best of the opening exchanges in the
second half and an early corner comes to nothing. Then come close when a
looping header goes just over the Eastleigh crossbar. They come close with
another header but the home keeper is able to tip the ball over the bar. They
make better use of another corner shortly afterwards as the Eastleigh defence
clear the ball off the line. The home side are then reduced to ten men for
something said after a fairly innocuous looking challenge in midfield. Bath have
a header go just wide as they look to press home their numerical advantage.
Eastleigh then begin to get back in to the game and they begin to have more of
the ball. They win a free kick out wide and the ball is headed home from inside
the six yard box. Bath look stunned and their best chance for an equaliser is a
long range free kick which produces a great save which turns out to seal the
win for the hosts.
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| Eastleigh defend a Bath City corner |
The nearest station to The Silverlake Stadium is Southampton Airport Parkway which is fifteen minute walk along an unpaved and unlit section of A-road. I walked from Eastleigh Station which is about a forty five minute walk from the ground. The number two goes from the town centre to very close to the ground. Trains to Southampton Airport Parkway and Eastleigh depart from Waterloo and the journey takes just over an hour. A short walk from the station is
The Litten Tree which did the job and had Sky Sports for the early kick off. The clubhouse is quite large and looks like it has been recently renovated. The clubhouse also has Sky Sports. If you have a wait for your train there is
The Wagon Works which is a standard Weatherspoons.
A double issue of the match day programme was produced for this game and the match against Dorchester in a couple of days time. There was a lot of good reading and judging by some of the articles the board have some big plans for the club.
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| Covered standing down one side of the pitch |
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