IF Chris Todd lands the Eastleigh manager’s job, one of his top priorities will be to increase the size of the squad.

The caretaker boss did not try and camouflage a strangely subdued performance from his side in Saturday’s 2-0 home defeat by Braintree Town, writes Wendy Gee.

But the fact remains that losing two established centre-backs, Paul Reid and Jamie Turley, to injury has been a major handicap for the Spitfires, who have also lost top gun James Constable to a thigh problem.

Without them Eastleigh were sunk by a Kenny Davis penalty and a criminally easy finish from Michael Cheek, and Todd openly admitted: “You have to earn the right to get results and today I don’t think we did.

“After the high of Wrexham last week (a 3-2 win) this was ‘after the Lord Mayor’s Show’. We were nowhere near what we’re capable of.”

Todd, though, did concede that Eastleigh’s spate of injury problems hadn’t helped.

“We’ve had this issue for a number of weeks and it’s something I need to talk to the chairman about. The squad isn’t big enough,” he said.

“We’ve got a left back (Michael Green) and a midfielder (Will Evans) playing at centre-half. They did brilliant at Wrexham, but the squad needs to be a bit stronger regarding numbers.

“We have good enough players, but the squad’s not big enough at present.”

Having rescued Eastleigh with a brave last-ditch tackle on Dan Sparkes, it was Green who brought down Cheek at the expense of a cheap 31st-minute penalty tucked away by Braintree skipper Davis.

Until then, the match had been pretty even - Ross Lafayette producing Eastleigh’s brightest moment when he skipped away from two Braintree defenders on the right of the area only to shoot straight at ’keeper Will Norris.

But the longer the game went on, the more the confidence drained out of Eastleigh and, following two smart saves by young ’keeper Lewis Noice, Braintree doubled their lead on the hour with a goal guaranteed to give former defender Todd nightmares.

Sparkes delivered from the left and, with the Spitfires defence sound asleep, Cheek had the freedom of the Silverlake to slide the ball home at the far post.

Job done, Braintree lifted their foot off the gas for the last half-hour.

But though Eastleigh – and substitute Jack Midson in particular - cropped up in good areas, it wasn’t until the last knockings that Norris had a notable save to make.

The result drops Eastleigh to 11th in the National League, albeit that they are only three points shy of the play-off zone.

But heavyweights Tranmere (away), Forest Green (home) and Cheltenham (away) are their next three opponents and Todd conceded: “We need to get together as a unit and get things right.”

Eastleigh: Lewis Noice, Joe Partington, Dan Harding, Andy Drury, Michael Green, Will Evans, Lee Cook, Ben Strevens, Ross Lafayette, Jai Reason (Josh Payne, 65), Yemi Odubade (Jack Midson, 46). Subs: (not used) Ross Flitney, Jamie Turley, Callum Davies.

Referee: John Bushby

Attendance, 1,330