EASTLEIGH got the new Ronnie Moore era off to a winning start at the Silverlake Stadium this afternoon as Solihull Moors were put to the sword 2-0 in the Vanarama National League. 

It was the day of the centre-back for the Spitfires with Ryan Cresswell and Reda Johnson crowning an impressive second-half performance with a goal apiece.

Moore had sprung a surprise by handing a starting debut to the giant Johnson, signed earlier this month from Coventry City where he had just finished rehab after ten months out with a hamstring injury.

Up front, the new boss went with the pairing of Mikael Mandron and Ryan Bird, who played for him at his previous club Hartlepool.

Having been urged by Moore to go out and express themselves, Eastleigh made a positive enough start, using the width of Jake Howells and Adam Dawson to good effect early on.

But that bright beginning quickly evaporated and it was Spitfires keeper Ross Flitney who had the first real work to do.

On 17 minutes he reacted sharply to turn around a bending free-kick by Ryan Beswick after Omari Sterling-James had been fouled in a central position just outside the area.

Then, with the newly-promoted National League North champions visibly growing in confidence, the tricky Sterling-James jinked in from the left and forced Flitney to save again.

Eastleigh finally started to click with the half-hour mark approaching,  working the ball well on the right before Bird clipped a delicious delivery in for Jason Taylor who won a corner.

Another flag kick quickly followed, this time on the left, after Moors’ defender Jordan Fagbola had put in a timely tackle on Bird as he latched onto Andy Drury’s forward pass.

Dawson turned up the heat on the Moors defence with a couple of dangerous high deliveries and, with Eastleigh continuing to aerially bombard their visitors, Connor Essam whipped in a cross from the right which so nearly fell for Mandron.

But it was Solihull who came the closest yet to scoring just before half-time when Sterling-James scampered to the edge of the box and unleashed a right-foot shot that struck the base of Flitney’s post.

Half-time: 0-0

Both sides signalled their intent at the start of the second half with Solihull’s Sterling–James shooting well over straight from kick-off and then Eastleigh tearing into their opponents all guns blazing.

Both Howells and Dawson were busy again out wide – the latter delivering an enticing ball from the left which brushed Mandron’s head and Howells having a curling shot touched narrowly over but, much to the Eastleigh bench’s exasperation, no corner was given.

As the Spitfires built up a head of steam, Howells twice put the ball on a plate for his teammates but first Bird and then Mandron and Drury couldn’t quite conjure up a finish.

But persistence finally paid off for Moore’s new charges as they deservedly took the lead with 58 minutes gone.

Inevitably  it was one of their widemen who created it with Dawson sending a corner to the near post where defender Ryan Cresswell, named captain of the side, cleverly flicked it past keeper Nathan Vaughan.

With the Spitfires’ game now flowing, former Sunderland man Mandron unleashed an opportunist strike from distance which Vaughan punched away two-handedly, but the 1,632 home crowd didn’t have to wait long for the second goal to arrive.

Again it came from a set-piece, this time full-back Michael Green launching a long throw from the left which 6ft 3in debutant Johnson met with a mighty header for 2-0.

But for a smart save by Vaughan, Bird would have headed  a third before he made way for James Constable on 76 minutes.

Crowd favourite Jai Reason came on six minutes later to rapturous applause, with Drury the man to make way.

Solihull looked very much a spent force for much of the second half but did manage a couple of late chances - a Liam Daly header wide from a corner on 87 minutes and a Stefan Moore effort that hit the side netting.

At the death, Reason darted onto an inviting throughball, but Vaughan was quick off his line to deny him.

Eastleigh: Ross Flitney, Connor Essam, Michael Green, Andy Drury (Jai Reason, 82), Ryan Cresswell, Reda Johnson, Jake Howells, Jason Taylor, Mikael Mandron, Ryan Bird (James Constable,76), Adam Dawson. Subs (not used): Ryan Huddard, Adam Dugdale, Scott Wilson.

Solihull Moors: Nathan Vaughan, Liam Daly, Jordan Gough (Stefan Moore, 70), Jack Byrne, Andy Brown, Ryan Beswick, Darryl Knights (Connor Franklin, 70), Bobby Moseley (Shepherd Murombedzi, 46), Jean-Yves Koue Niate, Jordan Fagbola, Omari Sterling-James. Subs (not used): Akwasi Asante, Harry White.

Referee: Neil Hair

Attendance: 1,632.