by Paul McNamara

JAMES Constable’s third goal in as many games rescued a point for Eastleigh in a pulsating encounter at the Silverlake Stadium.

The striker latched onto Andy Drury’s pass into the box, before manipulating the ball onto his left-foot and firing low inside Lincoln goalkeeper Paul Farman’s left upright, writes Paul McNamara.

Constable’s 77th minute strike levelled Jack Muldoon’s 13th-minute header for Lincoln, while Eastleigh finished the match with ten men following substitute Michael Green’s injury-time dismissal for hauling down Jon Nolan when the midfielder was through on goal.

It means Eastleigh are third, one of four teams on seven points behind leaders Forest Green, the only National League team with a 100 per cent record after three games.

Muldoon gave Lincoln the lead from point-blank range.

The Spitfires never regrouped after Matt Sparrow’s low goal-bound shot rebounded back out off a team-mate, Liam Hearn.

Right-back Lee Beevers quickly sent a cross to the far-post that was directed back across goal by Matt Rhead.

With Eastleigh claiming an infringement, Muldoon stole in to nod home.

The opening period was past its mid-way point when Eastleigh first gave the Imps’ defence something to think about.

Yemi Odubade sprung onto Jai Reason’s precise through-ball and the Spitfires’ forward sent in a ball from the left which flew agonisingly across the face of goal and a yard in front of the advancing Constable.

Eastleigh had goalkeeper Michael Poke to thank for keeping the deficit at one. Left-back Chris Bush, enjoying the run of his side of the pitch, sent in a glorious cross that was headed firmly by Hearn. But the former Grimsby man could only watch bewildered as Poke somehow got his legs in the way.

There were more encouraging signs as the interval loomed. Josh Payne fired over from distance and after muscling Muldoon off the ball on the left wing, Odubade tricked his way past Beevers only to curl fractionally beyond the far-post.

Eastleigh were rapidly out of the traps after the break. Payne’s snap-shot stung the palms of Farman and Constable couldn’t capitalise on Luke Waterfall’s slip, delivering a cross behind the onrushing Odubade. The Spitfires’ vehement cries for a spot-kick were waved away by referee Brett Huxtable when Odubade went to ground under Bush’s challenge.

Poke, winning plenty of admirers early in his Spitfires’ career, hurtled from his box ten minutes into the second-half to prevent Hearn from getting on the end of Muldoon’s through-ball. The former Southampton custodian had to be on his mettle again to divert a Waterfall header from Bush’s inswinging 68th-minute free-kick past his right-hand post. There was little Poke could do but cross his fingers though when substitute Alan Power’s subsequent corner was sent crashing against the bar by another Waterfall header.

Prior to the home keeper’s heroics, Drury had pulled the best from Farman with a rasping 18-yard volley. It was soon after Eastleigh-sub Ross Lafayette spun on Cook’s pass and flashed over from 20 yards that Constable equalised.

With the scores level, Poke saved from six yards and Constable, Reason and Lafayette all had shots blocked.