EASTLEIGH had to settle for a point from their Boxing Day derby at Havant & Waterlooville – despite leading 2-0.

Paul McCallum scored two headed goals in three first-half minutes, but the home side score twice in the last ten to salvage an unlikely point.

McCallum netted his 13th and 14th goals of the season in the 39th and 41st minutes.

Shortly after heading wide from a free kick, McCallum nodded in a Danny Hollands cross from close range at the far post to give the Spitfires the lead.

Two minutes later, his flicked effort from Mark Yeates’ free kick found the bottom of the far corner.

Reading loanee Tyler Frost curled a brilliant 30-yarder against a post and McCallum was denied a hat-trick of headers by Ben Dudzinski, who was relieved to see McCallum’s long-range half volley go wide.

It looked like it would not be Havant’s day when Alfie Rutherford put a penalty over the bar and out of the ground in the 70th minute.

But ten minutes later Andy Robinson headed in from close range after a corner had been flicked on.

Eastleigh were down to ten men when full-back Michael Green was red-carded following an 87th -minute melee in the middle of the park.

Three minutes later, Dan Strugnell scored a dramatic equaliser from close range.

Eastleigh manager Ben Strevens said: “We dominated the first half but credit to them, they changed things at half-time and went for it.  

“The game swung in their favour due to a several factors. 

“I didn’t think we passed the ball well enough and when they went direct we didn’t deal with it well enough. 

“The equaliser took a massive deflection and is a sickener. I would have taken four points from two games before we played Harrogate on Saturday but not now.”

Strevens had no complaints about Green’s sending off.

“Any 50/50 seemed to not go in our favour, but it was a definite red card.  Greener said the lad was grabbing him but he shouldn’t have got involved and pushing someone in the face is a red card at all levels. 

“It was completely out of character, in all the years I’ve known him I’ve never seen him do anything like that. It put them on the front foot.”

McCallum (groin) is now a doubt for Saturday’s trip to Ebbsfleet United.