EASTLEIGH 6 NORTH LEIGH 0

RYAN Bird was destroyer-in-chief as Eastleigh – non-League’s last club standing in the 2015/16 FA Cup – bulldozed their way into this season’s first round proper at the Silverlake Stadium this afternoon.

Southern One South & West visitors North Leigh may hold a special place in Spitfires chairman Stewart Donald’s heart, but there was no mercy shown with Bird grabbing four goals in a ruthless 6-0 demolition job by the National League hosts.

In the absence of injured centre-backs Adam Dugdale and Connor Essam, skipper Ryan Cresswell returned from calf problems to partner Reda Johnson – back from a one-match suspension - at the heart of the Eastleigh defence.

Manager Ronnie Moore went with a strong looking starting XI to face a North Leigh side from three leagues lower but, with Jake Howells also injured and several players cup-tied, teenage scholars Tom Bearwish and Jordan Beeke were drafted in to make up the seven permitted subs.

North Leigh seemed far from overawed early on and, if anything, briefly looked more assured in possession than Eastleigh.

And it was the visitors who got the first shot away after six minutes – dangerman George Seacole blasting wide from Elliott Osborne-Ricketts’ assist.

Mikael Mandron had a close-range effort blocked out for a corner as Eastleigh responded and in the tenth minute it was Spitfires who took the lead in stunning fashion.

North Leigh goalkeeper Connor Thompson came tearing out his goal to try and solve a defensive mix-up in the visitors’ right-back berth. And with the net unguarded Ryan BIRD, stationed close to the by-line outside the area, miraculously curled the ball into far corner from the tightest of angles.

Aside from an Aaron Woodley cross that almost found Seacole’s head, it was suddenly all Eastleigh, but the score remained 1-0 with half-hour gone despite chances for Cresswell, Mandron, Andy Drury and Coulson.

The inevitable second goal finally arrived on 32 minutes with BIRD again the scorer. This time the former Portsmouth man slid in ahead of the keeper to bury Mandron’s delivery following a good build-up down the left.

Bird came within inches of reaching Michael Green’s cross to complete a first-half hat-trick and, with North Leigh struggling to contain the rampant home side, 'keeper Thompson did well to repel Mandron’s close-range blast before the giant figure of Johnson headed onto the top netting.

The Spitfires remained greedy for more and it was another stunner – a delicious stoppage-time chip by Andy DRURY over Thomson from Jai Reason’s pin-point delivery – that sent Moore’s men in 3-0 up and cruising at half-time.

Half-time: Eastleigh 3 North Leigh 0

With the tie seemingly in the bag, Johnson – precariously sat on four bookings – was withdrawn, Joe Partington moved into central defence and sub David Pipe slipped in at right-back.

Come the 54th minute Eastleigh were four goals to the good as 6ft 4in marksman BIRD completed his hat-trick.

Reason again provided the assist, this time slipping a short pass to the No26’s feet. The big man did the rest, bending the ball past Thompson with a confident right-foot strike.

Mandron should have been the next to capitalise on Reason’s vision, but fired straight at Thompson, before Coulson curled one just past the post.

North Leigh’s afternoon took another turn for the worse just before the hour mark, however, when Eric Odhiambo – already booked – stupidly wrestled Reason to earn a second yellow card and reduce his struggling side to ten men.

Having warded off further damage with a couple of goalline clearances, the outnumbered Oxfordshire visitors slipped further into arrears on 68 minutes and – guess who – it was that man Bird again.

Coulson drove in a cross from the right which was too hot for Thompson to tame and BIRD knocked in the loose ball for his fourth and Eastleigh’s fifth of the afternoon.

Bird went off to a hero’s reception on 72 minutes, but still Eastleigh kept extending their lead with Coulson again the supplier as sub James CONSTABLE got in on the scoring act for 6-0.

Fellow sub Scott Wilson – back after a long-term hamstring injury – was then denied by Thompson who was soon turning away Coulson’s goalbound free-kick.

With three minutes of normal time Eastleigh keeper Ryan Clarke got a rare taste of the action, parrying a shot by sub James Murphy who sent his second effort over.

Eastleigh: Ryan Clarke, Joe Partington, Michael Green, Andy Drury, Ryan Cresswell, Reda Johnson (David Pipe, 46), Luke Coulson, Jason Taylor, Ryan Bird (Scott Wilson, 72), Mikael Mandron (James Constable, 61), Jai Reason. Subs (not used): Ryan Huddart, Adam Dawson, Tom Bearwish, Jordan Beeke.

North Leigh: Connor Thompson, Jon Else, Michael Hopkins, Wayne Turk (James Murphy, 72), Stuart Hole, Dan James, Eric Odhiambo, Elliot Osborne-Ricketts (Roger James, 46), George Seacole (Morgan Williams, 75), Lance Williams, Aaron Woodley. Subs: Richard Platt, Matt Woodley, Jamie Cook, Callum McNish.

Referee: Richard Hulme

Attendance: 889