Coulson on fire as Eastleigh thrill 4,114 crowd with 3-0 win over Maidstone

LUKE Coulson lit up ‘free football Tuesday’ at the Silverlake with two stunning strikes as Eastleigh’s unbeaten National League run rolled into double figures with a 3-0 win over Maidstone United, moving them up to fifth.

A late sending-off for defensive colossus Reda Johnson was the only down side on a stunning night of football which had Spitfires boss Ronnie Moore purring: “The first half, we were immense.

“That was as good a performance as we’ve had since I’ve been here. Our passing and movement was top-drawer.”

How Maidstone survived the opening exchanges unscathed was anyone’s guess as the Spitfires swarmed all over the Kent visitors in front of raucous 4,114 free-entry crowd.

Coulson lashed a fourth-minute shot across the goal face before being denied by a last-ditch tackle after Mikael Mandron had charged the ball down.

Michael Green, making his 250th appearance in Spitfires’ blue, ventured down the left and tested keeper Lee Worgan with a rasping drive, Mandron fizzed one wide and Joe Partington’s overlapping run was cut out at the near post for a corner.

Maidstone took 23 minutes to get their first shot away, but James Rogers’ effort flew well over.

As Eastleigh surged again Worgan, more by luck than judgement, kept out Mandron’s heavily deflected strike with his legs.

It took half an hour to bang the door down, but when Eastleigh finally broke through it was another cracker from Coulson’s impressive repertoire.

Shifting in from the left, he shimmied one way then the other before unleashing a thunderous right-foot shot into the far corner.

Maidstone’s woes doubled nine minutes later when Ryan Bird – in for birthday boy James Constable – made it 2-0.

Determined play by Jason Taylor set him up and the big man managed to get the ball out from under his feet before firing high into the net from close range.

Maidstone’s most dangerous moment came on 42 minutes when ex-Spitfire Yemi Odubade skipped down the left but had his shot parried by Eastleigh’s keeper Ryan Clarke who had been little more than a spectator.

The Spitfires didn’t have it all their own way in a grittier second half and on 65 minutes Partington, who had just headed wide at one end from Jai Reason’s corner, put in a timely tackle on Stones sub Liam Enver-Marum as he threatened to burst clean through the home defence.

Eastleigh might have been jolted out of their comfort zone when Johnson, already booked, saw a second yellow with 11 minutes remaining for shoving Enver-Marum.

Adam Dawson, on for the injured Jake Howells, was sacrificed as Moore shifted Partington into central defence and slotted sub David Pipe in at right back.

But having thrown away a 3-1 lead a Woking on Saturday, any fears of a repeat Eastleigh collapse were put to bed in stunning fashion with 86 minutes gone.

Coulson, whose stock is rising by the minute, repeated his earlier feat – and then some – skipping past three defenders like they weren’t there before beating Worgan with a measured finish – his sixth goal in four games.

There was just time left for Odubade to test Clarke, but the keeper preserved a much-needed clean sheet with a superb tip-over.

Eastleigh: Ryan Clarke, Joe Partington, Michael Green, Jason Taylor, Adam Dugdale, Reda Johnson, Jake Howells (Adam Dawson, 43, David Pipe, 82) Jai Reason, Mikael Mandron, Ryan Bird (James Constable, 87), Luke Coulson. Subs (not used): Ryan Huddart, Jamie Cureton.

Referee: Gareth Viccars Attendance: 4,114