EASTLEIGH will achieve what no team has done in the last six months if they beat Sheffield United in tomorrow's big pre-season friendly at the Silverlake Stadium (Friday, 7.45pm).

The Blades – managed by one-time Saints apprentice Chris Wilder – have almost forgotten how it feels to lose.

Statisticians at bet365 calculated after United’s latest triumph on Tuesday that it had been 182 days, 4,368 hours, 262,080 minutes, 15,724,800 seconds since the newly-promoted League One champions last tasted defeat at home to Fleetwood Town on January 24.

The brilliant Blades have strung together 12 straight wins since March and are enjoying an impressive pre-season campaign.

After registering victories over Rotherham, Chesterfield and Malaga, they added Premier League outfit Stoke City to their list of scalps, winning 2-1 at Bramall Lane on Tuesday.

Ex-Saint Billy Sharp fired United into a ninth-minute lead, wiped out by Xherdan Shaqiri.

But Wilder’s men kept their winning streak going thanks to David Brooks’ last-minute strike. Their long undefeated run now stands at 18 wins and four draws, scoring an impressive 55 goals in the process.

Eastleigh are also on a pre-season roll, having reeled off five straight victories, netting 21 goals and conceding none.

Putting the disappointment of cancelled friendlies against AFC Wimbledon, Portsmouth and Newport County behind them, they have made the most of workouts against non-League opposition, beating Basingstoke 4-0, Didcot 1-0, Blackfield & Langley 4-0 and Alton 9-0.

On Tuesday night, they stepped up preparations for the new Vanarama National League campaign with a pleasing 3-0 win over AFC Bournemouth’s under-21s.

“It’s been a bit of a disjointed pre-season and we’ve got to thank Bournemouth for stepping in and helping us,” said manager Richard Hill. “It was a good test for us.

“We’re a relatively new team and these games have helped introduce the players to each other. There’s a good atmosphere around the place and the new players have added to that. Credit too to the lads already here for welcoming them in with open arms.”

Striker Paul McCallum, new in from Leyton Orient, has settled in with seven goals, while three of Eastleigh's other new signings - Chris Zebroski, Mark Yeates and Danny Hollands - have also featured on the scoresheet.

Eighteen-year-old former Saints and Stoke City centre-back Harvey Read was unveiled as the Spitfires' eighth summer signing yesterday and Hill said: "He's a good signing based on his age and what he could be. Hopefully we can mould him into the player we'd like him to become."

Hill does not rule out more squad additions, but stressed: "We're doing okay. We're not going to rush and just bring someone in. It has to be for the right reasons.

"I was considering signing a player from a League One club this week, but he's decided to stay where he is."