EASTLEIGH made it five draws in six matches as AFC Fylde hit an equaliser in each half in front of the Silverlake Stadium’s biggest crowd of the season.

Reda Johnson headed the Spitfires into a 27th-minute lead, only to see it cancelled out in first-half injury time when Henry Jones reacted quickest to Graham Stack’s save from the dangerous Danny Rowe.

Gary McSheffrey’s first Eastleigh goal from a sumptuous Mark Yeates pass restored the Spitfires' lead in the 55th minute.

But Fylde defender Jordan Tunnicliffe hit a second equaliser for last year’s Conference North champions on the hour when Eastleigh failed to clear a free kick.

Eastleigh made two changes to the team that lost at home to Maidstone on Tuesday night with Chris Zebroski and Johnson in for James Constable and Ayo Obileye.

Fylde’s on-loan Bristol City winger Jonny Smith provided the best moments of the first half with his runs down the left flank and he soon made his presence felt, evading a challenge before firing narrowly over Stack’s crossbar.

Rowe had an early shot blocked and Jones fired wide for Fylde.

Then Michael Green’s cross was deflected goalwards and Fylde keeper Jay Lynch saved brilliantly with an outstretched leg from close range.

When Fylde failed to clear the resulting corner, Johnson headed in the opening goal from inside the six- yard box.

Johnson missed out following another good Mark Yeates flag-kick, but Fylde restored parity in first-half injury time.

Shortly after dragging a shot wide of Stack’s far post, Rowe’s powerful 25-yarder was parried by Stack and Jones was first to the rebound.

Yeates provided a moment of genuine quality to set up the Spitfires’ second goal in the 54th minute.

The former Watford winger’s diagonal ball into McSheffrey’s feet outwitted the Fylde centre-halves and had just enough back spin on it to sit up perfectly for the former Birmingham man to slot in.

Smith failed to make the most of an opportunity on the counter attack, but Fylde were soon level once again.

Eastleigh failed to deal with a free-kick from the right and Tunnicliffe made the most of their indecisiveness, clipping a second equaliser into the top corner from inside a congested penalty area.

Stack saved from Smith before Fylde captain Andrew Bond sliced the rebound horribly wide.

Johnson also missed the target with a header from a wonderful Sam Matthews cross before Rowe, out of nothing, thumped a 35-yarder against Stack’s right-hand post.

With ten minutes left, Eastleigh also hit the woodwork, Johnson flicking on a header against the crossbar from a free-kick.

But Eastleigh were relieved not to concede a third as Rowe twice went close.

After missing the target with one effort, Fylde’s number nine was denied by Stack in an 85th-minute one-on-one.

Eastleigh: Stack, Howe (c) Boyce (Wood 64), Johnson, Green, Hollands, Matthews (McAllister 75), Miley, Yeates, McSheffrey (Williamson 82), Zebroski.
Unused subs: Constable, Obileye.

AFC Fylde: Lynch, Montrose, Francis-Angol, Tunnicliffe, Bond, Rowe, Muldoon (McCread 82), Grand, Smith (Blinkhorn 89), Burke, Jones (Tasdemir 70).
Unused subs: Taylor, Richards.

Referee: Sam Purkiss.

Attendance: 3,312