Eastleigh’s National League play-off promotion prospects hang in the balance after a disappointing Easter which yielded only one point from matches against relegation strugglers Torquay United and Aldershot Town.

They were beaten 2-0 in South Devon but allowed a 3-1 interval lead to slip from their grasp and ended up drawing 3-3 against Aldershot, the visitors grabbing a late equalizer.

After 42 matches, Eastleigh enjoy a slender two-point lead over Bromley in the battle for the seventh and last promotion place, writes Mike Vimpany.

Their remaining matches are at fourth placed Chesterfield on Saturday, home to Solihull Moors (April 22) and away to FA Trophy finalists Halifax Town seven days later.
Spitfires were distinctly below par losing 2-0 at Plainmoor but were left kicking themselves for tossing away a 3-1 half-time lead against Aldershot.

Eastleigh were two-up inside 20 minutes – Charlie Carter finishing off a sweeping move to give them the lead and eight minutes later Ousseynou Cisse climbing unchallenged to head home Danny Whitehall’s free kick.

Jack Barham’s response for Aldershot soon after ignited a 3,553 Silverlake Stadium crowd who were being treated to helter-skelter Easter Monday fayre.

Alfie Lloyd and Whitehall both wasted chances before Gerry McDonagh, on loan from relegated Scunthorpe United, picked up the pieces from a corner to score his maiden Eastleigh goal.

Spitfires should have gone on from there but, after a bad miss by Oscar Rutherford, they leaked a second goal when Corey Jordan clawed it back to 3-2.

Lloyd missed a golden chance of a fourth goal – and effectively settle it for Eastleigh – but fourth minutes from the end of normal time Tahvon Jordan grabbed a controversial equalizer for the Shots’, Eastleigh protesting that George Langston had been tripped in the build up to the goal.