ROSS Lafayette celebrated his first competitive goal for Eastleigh this afternoon to propel the unbeaten Spitfires up to fourth in the Vanarama National League.

A crowd of 1,928 turned out for the first of two community fixtures at the Silverlake Stadium and were rewarded for their patience when the former Welling and Luton frontman netted a 66th-minute header to secure a priceless 1-0 win over Macclesfield Town.

Manager Richard Hill made three changes to the side that drew 2-2 at Welling on Tuesday, bringing skipper Paul Reid, Jai Reason and Ben Strevens into the starting line-up.

It was all Eastleigh early on as the home side conjured up three decent chances in the opening ten minutes.

With James Constable busy on the left by-line, Macclesfield defender Neil Byrne stuck out a boot just in the nick of time as Lafayette sought to capitalise on his strike partner's near-post delivery.

Constable, seeking to score for the fifth game in succession, then came precious close to doing so when, following great work by ex-Saint Dan Harding on the left, he dug out a cracking shot which keeper Ritchie Branagan managed to turn onto the post and out for corner.

The busy Branagan was called into action again with nine minutes gone, springing full stretch to his right to turn away Jai Reason’s sumptuously struck free kick from 30 yards.

After near blanket possession from the home side on a gloriously sunny afternoon at the Silverlake, there was a curious incident at the other end when, amid mayhem in the Eastleigh box, Spitfires captain Reid flung himself on the ball and lay on it, eventually drawing a home free-kick despite howls of protest from the Silkmen.

The Spitfires continued to play positive, attacking football and, had Constable been just a couple of inches taller, he would surely got his head to Ben Stevens’ enticing far-post cross from the right.

Eastleigh put themselves under a bit of unnecessary pressure when Reid’s stray back pass presented the visitors with a bonus corner.

Either side of that, Jack Midson twice cropped up in dangerous positions on the right - first forcing Macclesfield to head behind for a corner after yet another top-drawer delivery by Harding from the left.

Branagan then got in just ahead of the industrious Eastleigh No12 after Constable had helped on another Harding ball.

Macclesfield’s defending was frenzied at times under the intense Eastleigh pressure and when it looked as if Andy Drury would finally the break the deadlock with a superb strike from 30 yards, Branagan was equally impressive in keeping the ball out of his top right corner.

One last chance presented itself in stoppage when, with Constable appealing in vain for a free kick on the left, Reason carried the move on but ran into traffic and was snuffed out by George Pilkington.

Macclesfield produced the first threat of the second half with Joe Partington getting a crucial block on Danny Whittaker’s shot before Kristian Dennis delivered a dangerous corner.

But it was Eastleigh who significantly upped the pressure and they would have gone ahead but for two outstanding saves from former Republic of Ireland under-21 ’keeper Branagan to deny Lafayette.

Only in the side because former AFC Bournemouth No1 Shwan Jalal was ruled out by concussion, 23-year-old Branagan first pulled off an unbelievable stop to keep out the big No11’s point-blank header.

Then, with Eastleigh breaking quicly after ’keeper Michael Poke had got down to save from Dennis who had cut in from the left, Lafayette was denied again by that man Branagan, seeing his shot on the run tipped behind.

Dennis threatened again for the Silkmen with a drilled effort across goal, but this time Eastleigh’s response was lethal as they finally got the lead they deserved with 66 minutes gone.

Lafayette took possession just inside the opposition half and scurried diagonally across the pitch before finding Jack Midson.

Midson exchanged passes with Drury and, having made it to the byline, cut the ball back for Lafayette to open his Eastleigh account by heading in off the underside of the bar.

Lafayette went off to warm applause five minutes later as Hill shuffled his pack by bringing on substitute Lee Cook.

Macclesfield earned themselves a free-kick in the 76th minute when Strevens brought down Chris Holroyd on the right edge of the area but, luckily for Eastleigh, substitute Danny Rowe’s shot was wild after he had been played in by Whittaker.

Two more Spitfires substitutions followed with Michael Green replacing Harding and Midson making way for Yemi Odubade.

The final few minutes drifted by reasonably uneventfully, although Poke – who had earlier taken another bang to the head after suffering the same fate at Welling – responded positively to gather Andy Halls’ dangerous high ball and take any unwanted late pressure off his defence.

Eastleigh: Michael Poke, Joe Partington, Dan Harding (Michael Green, 78), Ben Strevens, Paul Reid, Jamie Turley, Andy Drury, Jack Midson (Yemi Odubade, 81), James Constable, Ross Lafayette (Lee Cook, 72), Jai Reason. Subs (not used): Josh Payne, Lewis Noice.

Referee: Richard Martin

Attendance: 1,928