EASTLEIGH will almost certainly be without goalkeeper Graham Stack and skipper Ryan Cresswell for Saturday's National League test at Gateshead.

The Spitfires pair limped off in the aftermath of Barrow’s second goal in Tuesday’s 3-2 defeat at Holker Street.

Stack, who had done well to make an initial save, was hurt in the process and manager Andy Hessenthaler reported afterwards that his knee was “up like a balloon.”

The news was bad too for Cresswell who sustained what the manager described as a “bad hamstring injury” that could keep him out for the rest of the season.

With Reda Johnson and Ayo Obileye both out injured and fellow defender Andrew Boyce suspended for two matches, Eastleigh saw out the game with fit-again Michael Green as a makeshift centre-back.

Having fallen further behind, the Spitfires brought it back to 3-2 late on through substitute Ben Williamson before hitting the woodwork on multiple occasions in a pulsating period of stoppage time.

“I was disappointed we didn’t get a result in the end, but it was a bit of deja-vu in terms of the goals we conceded,” Hessenthaler reflected. “That’s been our problem all season, conceding really sloppy goals.

“Things went against us a bit and Barrow got the luck they needed, but the good thing was we kept going.

“We hit the bar and the post and threw the kitchen sink at them at the end.”

Gateshead - currently three points and three places below the 13th-placed Spitfires - are due to play away at FC Halifax this evening (Thursday, 7.45pm).