CHRIS Todd reflected on a great day after Eastleigh’s caretaker boss watched his side secure a thrilling 3-2 victory at Wrexham’s Racecourse Ground.

The Welsh team hadn’t lost on home soil this season, but in their first game since Richard Hill’s resignation the Spitfires took all three points due to Ben Strevens’ 87th minute header settling a thrilling contest, writes PAUL McNAMARA.

Jai Reason and Andy Drury, with a wonderful 25-yard strike, had put the visitors two ahead at half-time.

But the force was with Wrexham after Wes York and Sean Newton both struck to even things up with 15 minutes to play.

Todd introduced Josh Payne to bolster his team’s midfield stocks immediately after Newton’s leveller.

“I made a few changes,” Todd explained.

“You always take risks by doing that, but I felt I had to do it.

“We were being overrun in midfield at one point and I felt I had to put Josh in there to have three midfielders, with one sitting, because their number 8 (Dominic Vose) was getting on the ball and dominating a bit.

“Sometimes the changes come off and sometimes they don’t. Today they have and every man in my squad deserved that.”

The 34-year-old, who had earlier in the week declared his interest in replacing Hill full-time, named a line-up showing five changes to that which had been caned 5-2 by Dover on Tuesday night.

There was also a tweak to the tactics preferred by Hill, with Reason moved into a position behind striker James Constable.

“We talked about it,” revealed Todd.

“I didn’t have a lot of time with them, but I had a big training session on Thursday and we talked about trying a different shape, which we did.

“It’s paid off and whoever I had picked today, I feel that they would have given everything.

“That was proved by the players that started and the substitutes who came on.”

Todd admitted that he was swept away by the emotion of an afternoon on which the momentum swung one way then the other – but the Welshman insisted that his first managerial experience had given him the taste for more.

“It was like a whirlwind,” said the former Exeter City defender. “It’s been a whirlwind since Richard left and it just continued.

“It was amazing, the overall performance by the lads – what they’ve given me and what they’ve shown me today. It proves a lot to me, and it means a lot to me.

“Being in charge is totally different to anything else I’ve done. Being on the sidelines there, screaming and shouting and having the ups and downs. It was like a rollercoaster today.

“It’s something I’ve always wanted to do and always believed that I could do. It’s come earlier than I expected.

It’s a great bunch of lads, a great squad. The chairman, CEO and staff are all unbelievable. Hopefully we can go on to bigger and better things.”

Todd did confess, though, that his resolve to remain cool-headed in his new role was broken when Strevens nodded in the Spitfires winner.

“It did. I was ecstatic,” he said. “I don’t even know what kind of celebration I did.

“It’s hard to hold your emotions.

“I said to the lads, if I do get the job I’ll have a philosophy of not getting too high when you win and not getting too low when you lose.

“But, today, I’m definitely high.”