Eastleigh 1 Solihull Moors 2.

EASTLEIGH’S fifth season as a National League side started with the bitter disappointment of a 2-1 home defeat by Solihull Moors.

The Spitfires had seemingly been destined for a happy ending when they got their noses in front with a Paul McCallum penalty with 15 minutes to go.

But two breakaway strikes from Adi Yussef and sub Dan Sweeney in the 80th and 83rd minutes cruelly turned the game on its head.

It cast a cloud of disbelief over the Silverlake Stadium with Eastleigh – so dominant in the first 45 minutes – barely able to credit that they had ended the afternoon empty-handed.

It had all started so well for the Spitfires.

Without injured new signing Joey Jones and not yet match-fit Ryan Cresswell, they ‘Hared’ out of the blocks with two great chances in just over a minute.

New right-back Josh Hare was at the heart of the action, first unleashing a tremendous 20-yard strike which was tipped over by goalkeeper Ryan Boot.

The resulting corner was played short to Hare, again lurking just outside the area, and this time he drilled it low through a mass of legs and again Boot managed to avert the danger.

The Moors came into it with a free kick from Darren Carter which curled over, but the visitors were dealt an early blow when Kwame Thomas was badly dazed in a challenge with Eastleigh’s man mountain defender Reda Johnson.

Thankfully he was able to walk off after treatment, making way for sub Jermaine Hylton with 12 minutes gone.

Four minutes later Eastleigh’s Mark Yeates tried his luck from distance with the ball deflecting just wide off Moors man Jamie Reckord.

The visitors had another injury setback midway through the first half with defender Alex Gudger, a Trophy winner with Brackley last season, limping out of the action to be replaced by George Carline.

With all the stoppages and the intense heat taking their toll, the game was starting to lose its early fizz – until Eastleigh suddenly wound up the pressure with 32 minutes gone.

Hare was desperately unlucky with another thunderous strike, this time from the right side of the area, that cannoned off the inside of the far post.

The Spitfires quickly recycled the ball and twice in quick succession they threatened aerially through McCallum and Alex Wynter only to be denied by that man Boot, who was having a stormer in the Solihull goal.

With Eastleigh keeping their foot on the gas, Oscar Gobern was unlucky not to connect as he flung himself at Mark Yeates’ free-kick and the ex-Saint was then blocked out amid a mad scramble on the line following good work by Ben Williamson.

Half-time: Eastleigh 0 Solihull Moors 0.

Hare, highly impressive on his league debut for Eastleigh, set up yet another headed opportunity for McCallum six minutes into the second half, but yet again Boot was there to turn his flicked effort behind.

The Moors – managed by ex-Saint Tim Flowers- had started the half promisingly with Eastleigh defender Andrew Boyce forced to deal with a dangerous Danny Wright delivery at the near post.

With Solihull getting a second wind on another stiflingly hot afternoon, there was more defending for Eastleigh to do at this stage of proceedings.

Manager Andy Hessenthaler rang the frontline changes with the 70th minute approaching, withdrawing Ben Williamson and throwing Chris Zebroski into the mix.

Six minutes later the Spitfires had their breakthrough when, following Carter’s foul on Zebroski right on the corner of the area, Eastleigh pegged the Moors back with a succession of set pieces.

And when, in the 76th minute, Adi Yussef blatantly manhandled Gobern as he awaited another Yeates corner, referee Chris Pollar had no hesitation in pointing to the spot.

McCALLUM, who had been long overdue a goal, stepped up to take it, and sent the otherwise impeccable Boot the wrong way from the spot.

That should have been that for Eastleigh but, just when they needed it most, their defensive organisation deserted them as the Moors quickly turned the game on its head with two breakaway goals.

YUSSEF got the first,atoning for his earlier crime by hooking home Carline’s deflected shot at full stretch in the 80th minute.

Yeates did his best to respond, cutting in from the left and testing Boot at his near post.

But, disaster struck again on 83 minutes when Jamie Osborne’s delightful pass set up sub DAN SWEENEY to round Graham Stack and give the visitors an improbable lead from which the Spitfires never recovered.

Michael Green tried his best with a stoppage-time blast, but it was not to be for Hessenthaler’s men who now go to Sutton United on Tuesday and Barnet next Saturday.

EASTLEIGH: Graham Stack, Josh Hare, Michael Green, Alex Wynter, Reda Johnson, Andrew Boyce (Cav Miley, 85), Oscar Gobern (James Constable, 88), Danny Hollands, Paul McCallum, Ben Williamson (Chris Zebroski, 69), Mark Yeates. Subs (not used): Sam Wood, George Dowling.

Referee: Chris Pollard.

Attendance: 1,345.