Manager Richard Hill was left feeling bitter after a historic FA Cup run ended with a 2-1 defeat at Southport yesterday in the second round.

A potential glamour tie with Premier League opposition awaited Eastleigh if they could win on Merseyside.

But a Dean Beckwith straight red card, which Hill felt was harsh, swung the balance of the match in favour of Gary Brabin’s side, who are struggling near the bottom of the Vanarama Conference.

It was the first time in Eastleigh’s history they were playing at this stage of the competition but it ended in heartbreak. The Sandgrounders took advantage of the extra man and got the winner with 20 minutes left.

Hill was clearly disappointed by a number of decisions made by referee Geoff Eltringham.

“It kills you,” said a gutted Hill. “I thought we were decent today.

“If you’d come in at half time 1-0 up; things would have been a lot different. I thought we played well when we were allowed to play.

“Sometimes the opposition stops you from playing and sometimes the officials do. Most definitely today, the officials stopped us from playing.

“In the magnitude of this game for these two clubs, that performance from the referee was not good enough.”

On Beckwith’s sending off, Hill said: “It was not a red card, it was halfway into our half. Dean’s fouled him, it’s a yellow card.

“A lot can happen from when Dean’s fouled the players to when he gets to goal. He was probably the best part of 40 yards from goal.

“A lot can happen in 40 yards. He could pull his hamstring, my full back could have got round, he could have taken a bad touch.

“That was not denying a goal-scoring opportunity. For me some of the decisions were not in line with the magnitude of the game and what should be expected for a Football League referee.”

Eastleigh fought hard until the last, but couldn’t quite find an equaliser, despite hitting the post through Ben Strevens and a series of other chances.

“We couldn’t quite get that finishing touch, but credit to Southport they’ve dug in deep,” he said. “They drew us into a bit of a fight, which possibly didn’t suit us.

“It’s a tough place to come. I just thought for the first 40 minutes we were decent. There were no problems. We were quite in control of the game.

“It’s a game we should have won. It’s a game we certainly shouldn’t have lost.

“When you play a football match, you need to be able to play.

“Southport didn’t stop us today, but we weren’t allowed to play.”

“I’m quite bitter that we’ve that the opportunity has been taken away from us.

“People will go at me because I’m moaning about the officials again but people who are here today will see decisions that are fit for one team but not the other team.

“On more than one occasion decisions went against us.

“We had to cope with that once it happened (the sending off). We were ragged. It was a cup, game not a league game where you could shut up shop.

“They scored their goal at a good time. If we had got through that next ten minutes, you never know what could have been.

“But good luck to Southport in the next round.”

Hill ended on praise for the club’s travelling fans. “Great, weren’t they,” he said of the 142 Spitfires supporters, who were in good voice all afternoon.

“It’s a long old way on a Sunday to come.

“It’s freezing cold up here, give them a lot of credit. Our fans our great, they will follow us anywhere.

“But today they’ve given that little bit extra.

“They’ll be as sick as me at the minute.”