EASTLEIGH will travel to Halifax on Tuesday knowing a positive result will take them into the Vanarama Conference play-off zone.

This afternoon’s 3-1 home win over Alfreton Town leaves them a point outside fifth spot with a game in hand.

Kick-off at the Silverlake was delayed by half-an-hour after the visitors’ team coach broke down on the M40.

With Eastleigh skipper Dean Beckwith unwell and Michael Green out with a hamstring problem, Paul Reid again wore the captain’s armband as Richard Hill stuck with the same line-up that won at Welling on Monday.

The game had an end-of-season feel to it early on with Eastleigh’s James Constable registering the first shot of note in the seventh minute after Jack Midson had headed the ball into his half.

That chance apart, the Spitfires’ early threat was reduced to free-kicks and corners which were well dealt with by the mass ranks of Red defenders.

Constable felt hard done by when he earned no more than a corner after he and goalkeeper Tom Flynn fell over each other tussling for an awkward ball just inside the Alfreton area. And then the Spitfires no. 9 was again set-up by Midson, this time with a cross from the right but he flicked it wide of the near post.

Constable again went to ground just outside the visitors’ box on 19 minutes when challenged from behind by Lathaniel Rowe-Turner. But, despite an outcry from the home bench, nothing was given.

It looked like turning into a frustrating game of football for Eastleigh until a stoke of luck went their way with 20 minutes gone.

There were only Red players in the box when Midson delivered from the left, but the ball took a slight deflection off one of them and went behind for a corner on the right.

Jai Reason’s initial delivery came straight back to him, but he guided the second straight into the heart of the six-yard box where Joe PARTINGTON opened the scoring from close range.

But just when Eastleigh looked ready to take a grip on proceedings, they were rocked back on their heels by a 25th minute equaliser.

Home keeper Ross Flitney was not convinced the ball had crossed the line when Karl HAWLEY got on the end of Joe Leesley’s corner, but the goal stood.

As a curious afternoon continued, Alfreton handed the lead back to Eastleigh on 32 minutes when Simon Lenighan needlessly wrestled Reason over in the area.

Keeper Flynn guessed correctly by diving to his right, but could not keep out Ben STREVENS’ spot-kick which he fired accurately into the bottom corner.

A match that was already running late then took another bizarre twist when the game was held-up for another six minutes because part of the sprinkler system was sticking up just outside the centre-circle and was deemed dangerous by referee Nicholas Kinseley.

The offending articles was dealt with an eventually the groundsman arrived with a bucket and spade to fill in the hole. Not surprisingly the game lost all its shape and, with the clock ticking before 4.20pm, seven minutes of first-half stoppage time were announced.

There was still time, though, for Eastleigh to create a decent late chance when Partington’s goal-bound header was cleared and Strevens blasted the follow-up wide.

Both teams took time to get going after the break before a moment of magic from Constable almost added to Eastleigh’s lead.

He took the ball down on the edge of the box, shifted to the right of Rowe-Turner and, in one sweet movement whistled a shot wide of Flynn’s right-hand post.

Constable continued to keep Alfreton’s rear guard well occupied and then Howard produced an inspired piece of improvisation, spotting Flynn off his line before letting fly from 45 yards and missing the target by just of couple of feet.

A rare Alfreton raid saw Flitney deal well with Dan Bradley’s shot from the byline before, at the other end, Howard fired over from Constable’s effort.

An injury stoppage for Reid delayed matter further and then Turley required treatment to his face after being caught by Wood, who was shown a second yellow on 69 minutes reducing the visitors to ten men.

Midson rifled a 25-yarder over and drifted another effort wide as Eastleigh continued to create chances.

By now Deon Burton had gone on in place of Howard, but another door closed on the Spitfires when Midson dinked the ball into Constable’s path and, with Flynn having raced out of his box, the free-kick went in the visitors’ favour as the pair collided.

When Eastleigh’s third goal finally arrived it was with the help of a deflection as midfielder Craig Stanley drove in a shot from the right of the area.

The ball looped past the wrong footed Flynn and had already crossed the line before Constable arrived to make sure.

There was still time for a terrific by-line charge by Partington, which deserved to end with a goal, and a blocked shot by Constable before the final whistle blew at 5.30pm.