Carlisle United got back to winning ways with a 2-1 victory over Eastleigh at the Silverlake Stadium.
Second-half goals from Georgie Kelly and Stephen Wearne were the difference despite Temi Eweka's injury-time strike as the Blues picked up the three points in Hampshire.
Mark Hughes made four changes from the 3-1 defeat against Hartlepool United during the week, with Terell Thomas, Georgie Kelly, Regan Linney and Hayden Atkinson coming in for Bevis Mugabi, Chris Conn-Clarke, David Ajiboye and Harvey Macadam.
The first attacking action saw a long ball forward found Kelly, who cushioned a header for Wearne to strike over the crossbar.
A neat one-two between Wearne and Linney saw the Blues’ winger fly down the left flank and in on goal, but his effort soared off target.
Inih Effiong tried to get Spitfires going, spinning outside of the United penalty area and firing wide of Gabe Breeze’s goal.
United had a spell of pressure before the break, with Kelly having a volley blocked at point-blank range before his second effort ricocheted away.
HALF-TIME: Eastleigh 0-0 Carlisle United
The host’s captain, Jordan Cousins, attempted an audacious half volley from outside the penalty area, but it flew wide.
Kelly gave the Blues the lead in the 54th minute when United overloaded the right flank with Linney’s persistence, seeing him poke the ball across the goalmouth for the striker to slide home.
Nick Townsend pulled off an outstanding save to deny Morgan Feeney’s front-post flick from Wearne’s in-swinging corner.
Armstrong pounced onto the ball inside the Spirfires’ half and found Linney, whose vicious effort went narrowly past the upright.
Wearne doubled the Blues’ lead in the 69th minute, making a run from deep to latch onto Gilliead’s chipped through ball and firing past Townsend.
The Spitfires pulled one back four minutes into added time with Eweka poking past Breeze after a goalmouth scramble.
Breeze had to be brave to deny a late Eastleigh scramble in the penalty area as United saw out the win.
FULL-TIME: Eastleigh 1-2 Carlisle United
Teams:
Eastleigh: Townsend, Vokins, Humphries, Eweka, Blair, Pierre, Lundstram, Waruih (Evans 68), Effiong, Cousins, Harris
Unused subs: McNamara, Tabor, Waite, Pearson, Giles, Underhill
Carlisle United: Breeze, Thomas (Mugabi 72), Feeney, Kelly, Linney, Galvin, Wearne, Ellis (Harper 86), Gilliead, Armstrong (Parker 72), Atkinson
Unused subs: Mair, Ajiboye, Hetherington, Conn-Clarke
Goals:
Eastleigh – (Eweka 90+4)
Carlisle United – (Kelly 54) (Wearne 69)
Yellow cards:
Eastleigh – (Blair 73)
Carlisle United - (Wearne 83)
Red cards:
Eastleigh - N/A
Carlisle United – N/A
Match officials:
Referee - Alan Dale
Assistant Referee 1 - David Pilling
Assistant Referee 2 - Anastasiya Voloshchuk
Fourth Official - Ryan Head
Attendance:
2626 (444 away)
