MANAGER Richard Hill was pleased with a draw against Woking – but admits Eastleigh will have to patch themselves up for the Vanarama Conference trip to Braintree Town tomorrow.

Hill’s side had to battle hard on a heavy, wet pitch in their 2-2 Boxing Day draw against fellow play-off chasers.

And there’s little time to refocus and prepare for the match at Braintree, who won 2-0 at Dartford yesterday.

Hill was happy with the result, but admitted his frustration at the festive schedule which will also see them to travel to Woking on New Year’s Day for the last of a trilogy of games against Garry Hill’s side in under a month.

“I’ve said all along that if we finish one place above Woking, we’ll be in the play-offs,” he said.

“I said that right at the start of the season and I said that to Garry (Hill, Woking manager).

“They’re a good side, they work you hard, they pass the ball well and they’re incisive with their passing.

“They’re not like Gateshead who will pass and pass and give you a chance to get behind the football.

“They’re actually really incisive and quick when they get behind you.

“They’ve got good runners, so we needed to remain compact and grind out that result.

“Second half conditions weren’t conducive for a game of football, but it is what it is.

“It was hard, it was tough, it was cold and perhaps we could have been a little bit better on the ball second half.

“Perhaps we were a bit erratic. Perhaps we were trying to score a goal or have a go at goal a little too quickly and ending up giving the ball away a little cheaply.

“In my day that was part of football, but nowadays it’s different.

“But overall I’m pleased with a point.”

Hill continued: “We can’t do any work (ahead of Braintree).

“I could have the lads in training tomorrow, but there’s no point.

“We’ve just got to patch ourselves up and go again in 48 hours, which is difficult.

“We’ll turn up at Braintree and we’ll see who’s okay, who’s not right, see who’s sore, see who can get through 90 minutes and we’ll go from there.

“We’ve got no chance of getting on the training ground.

“Christmas and football is contradictory. They don’t go together.

“We’ve played 24 games now,” he added. “Every one of those has been a battle.

The Spitfires showed great character yesterday to twice come back from a goal down in the first half – Will Evans with a deflected effort and Craig McAllister on target.

Hill hailed his side’s spirit.

“The last two years – definitely the last 18 months – you’ve seen all the players involved in this club they’ve got that something about them,” he said.

“They will carry on regardless and plug away.

“There was no point during the game that it was ever over for us, even in the last minute.

“I wouldn’t have taken a draw before the game,” he said. “On another day we might have had a bit of luck.

“The two goals we’ve scored, we’ve had to create them.

“They haven’t been gifted to us. The first one could be a little bit fortunate, but Will’s (Will Evans) perhaps deserved a bit of luck.”