A depleted Eastleigh were unlucky to lose 1-0 at top of the table Barnet today as they battled until the last minute in the Vanarama Conference at The Hive Stadium.

Former Saints youngster Sam Hoskins fired the Bees into a first half lead with a deflected effort, but the Richard Hill’s side never gave up and had the best of the second half possession.

They had the ball in net too, through Craig McAllister, but the experienced frontman was flagged for offside.

The Spitfires were missing usual front two Jack Midson and James Constable, along with new defender Jamie Turley and Ben Wright.

But they started well and but for Hoskins’s shot that clipped the outside of the post and a few attacks that gravitated around the dinky Yeovil loanee and powerhouse forward John Akinde, Eastleigh remained resolute.

Because they committed so many men to defensive duties, attacks came on the break and mainly through left back Michael Green, who had a shot palmed away by keeper Graham Stack.

Despite the positive opening phases an element of misfortune saw the lively Hoskins hit his first goal for Bees on 36 minutes.

As the frontman picked up the ball on the edge of the box, he turned and lashed at Ross Flitney’s goal. Unfortunately for the away side the ball pinged off centre half Paul Reid’s leg, wrong footing Flitney and landed in the bottom left of the net.

Hill changed it around after the restart with Stuart Fleetwood replacing centre back Chris Todd. The former Charlton attacker went up top with McAllister in a 4-4-2.

It gave Eastleigh a more attacking complexion, but the first chance of the half fell to Hoskins, who smashed a low shot at an alert Flitney.

The Spitfires grew into the second half and were the team in the ascendancy. They would have felt hard-done-by not to get anything from the match.

Jamie Collins flashed a Reason corner narrowly wide of the post before Fleetwood played in sub Yemi Odubade who fired across goal and McAllister knocked into the net.

The travelling Eastleigh fans were sent into raptures only for the assistant referee to flag for a questionable offside.

Barnet also had a goal ruled out for offside late on and hit the crossbar as they held out for the win.