Eastleigh 0 Chester 3.

EASTLEIGH trudged off the field to a chorus of boos as they suffered a hefty 3-0 home defeat at the hands of Chester in the Vanarama National League this afternoon.

The visitors arrived at the Silverlake without a win in their last six league games, but the Spitfires were undone by goals from Kane Richards, Elliott Durrell and sub Jordan Chappell in front of an unimpressed 1,923 crowd.

Eastleigh handed home debuts to their three latest arrivals – winger Ross Stearn from Sutton, Wycombe loan goalkeeper Scott Brown and club record £60,000 signing Bondz N’Gala, partnered by fellow titan Reda Johnson in central defence. Fit-again midfielder Andy Drury returned in midfield.

Stearn was straight into the heart of the action, winning a fifth-minute free-kick wide left which he pumped into the area. Chester didn’t clear and the ball fell for Scott Wilson who stabbed it goalwards only for visiting skipper Tom Shaw to clear it off the line.

Eastleigh were spraying the ball around confidently but a couple of decent opportunities eluded them. First Mikael Mandron’s control let him down from Luke Coulson’s lay-off and then Coulson was picked out unmarked at the far post by Scott Wilson’s deep cross, but thumped his volley wide.

The game then took an unexpected twist when Chester stunned Eastleigh from their first real attack after 20 minutes, seizing the lead totally against the run of play.

There was much talk about the calibre of the Spitfires defence beforehand, but questions will be asked about the ease with which the visitors scored.

James Alabi played in Johnny Hunt down the left and he had way too much scope to deliver low into the six-yard box where KANE RICHARDS got across his man to knock home.

Chester keeper Alex Lynch saved comfortably from Stearn after Mandron’s blocked shot had deflected into the lively wideman’s path, but there was a shell-shocked look about the Spitfires who weren’t that far away from conceding again when Elliott Durrell’s 20-yarder drifted wide.

Spitfires skipper and right-back Joe Partington put the frustration of Chester’s goal behind him to whip in a couple of dangerous crosses, but Drury slipped as he tried to jump for the first and positive goalkeeping by Lynch cut out the second.

When Eastleigh drew their last home game 1-1 with York, despairing boss Ronnie Moore asked: “How many chances do we want?”

And there were shades of that frustration again as another opportunity passed Eastleigh by when, following a good turn and delivery by Mandron, Wilson’s right-footer flew straight at the keeper.

Instead, it was Chester who threatened again when Johnson, just back from a one-match ban for five bookings, saw yellow again at the expense of a free kick.

Durrell’s delivery sparked havoc in the box, the ball ping-ponging around ominously before Alabi’s effort was scrambled clear by Partington.

Another disappointing first-half show by Eastleigh ended with a Drury shot blocked.

Half-time: Eastleigh 0 Chester 1.

Eastleigh bombarded the visitors after the break with Coulson and Stearn peppering the box with crosses, but the ball stubbornly refused to go in, despite the best efforts of Mandron and Wilson.

Moore had seen enough and, on 58 minutes, he withdrew Wilson and threw on veteran goal-getter Jamie Cureton in the hope that the 41-year-old could succeed where others had failed.

Had Cureton been a couple of inches taller, he would surely have made an immediate impact from Coulson’s inviting cross from the left.

But Eastleigh were still living dangerously at the back and had only just breathed a sigh of relief as panic reigned once more from Durrell’s delivery, with both Shaw and Craig Mahon having stabs.

With 71 minutes gone, disaster struck again for the Spitfires as they struggled to deal Chester’s direct running and when Partington brought Richards down, referee Craig Hicks pointed to the spot.

New keeper Brown looked to have made himself a hero when he guessed right to keep out Shaw’s initial penalty kick but, amid a huge scramble for the loose ball, DURRELL got it over the line for 2-0 to the visitors.

The Spitfires continued to create chances but Lynch dived well to save N'Gala's header from Coulson’s corner, Johnson headed wide, Mandron fired hopelessly over and Cureton, having done the hard work of leaving his marker floundering, shot tamely into the side netting.

Towering defender Johnson was pushed up top as Eastleigh desperately tried to salvage something from the game but there appeared to be a forcefield around the Chester goal.

Not so at the other end where sub Jordan Chappell rubbed salt in Eastleigh wounds, catching the Spitfires on the break and too easily beating Brown one-on-one for the visitors' third.

The Spitfires remain eighth, but are now seven points shy of the play-off zone.

Eastleigh: Scott Brown, Joe Partington, Michael Green, Jason Taylor, Bodndz N’Gala, Reda Johnson, Luke Coulson, Andy Drury, Mikael Mandron, Scott Wilson (Jamie Cureton, 58), Ross Stearn (Alefe Santos, 69). Subs (not used) Connor Essam, James Constable, Jai Reason.

Referee: Craig Hicks.

Attendance: 1,973