EASTLEIGH 6

Reason 16, 45, 80, Todd 18, Wright 41, Odubade 89

MAGPIES 0

EASTLEIGH brushed the Magpies aside at the Silverlake Stadium in Hampshire, with Jai Reason bagging a hat-trick for the rampant hosts.

The Spitfires took the game out of Dorchester’s reach before half-time thanks to a Reason double and goals from Chris Todd and Ben Wright.

Reason went on to net a third with 10 minutes left and substitute Yemi Odubade underlined Eastleigh’s dominance by making it 6-0 late on.

Three points for the hosts took them back to the top of the Skrill South table, while the Magpies must try and put this horror show behind them with eight games of the season remaining.

Missing Mark Jermyn and Warren Byerley was always going to make the Magpies’ task a hard one, and their hopes of taking something from the match were dealt another blow when Jamie Gleeson was only ruled fit enough to start on the bench.

Steve Walker and Dan Way came into the starting line-up in place of Byerley and former Eastleigh man Gleeson, while there was a place among the substitutes for youngster Oakley Hanger.

Eastleigh were without the injured Dean Beckwith and Stuart Fleetwood, as well as Reece Connolly who was suspended.

The half from hell for the Magpies began ominously and it was Eastleigh’s new loan signing from Alfreton Town, Dan Wishart, who looked a good bet to open the scoring.

He forced two saves from former Eastleigh stopper Alan Walker-Harris within 15 minutes of the kick-off, and they were the precursor to Reason’s and the home side’s first goal.

Walker-Harris did well to keep out Wright’s effort but Reason reacted quicker than any of the Dorchester defenders to make it 1-0.

Barely two minutes later, Walker-Harris had to pick the ball out of his net again when former Swansea City defender Chris Todd rose highest to head in a corner.

It would have been 3-0 on the half-hour mark had Magpies’ captain Jake Smeeton not got a touch on a close-range attempt from Reason to send the ball out for a corner.

Dorchester did threaten to pull a goal back, though Elliott Chamberlain headed wide from Charlie Losasso’s free-kick and then Nick Crittenden saw a shot blocked.

But any hopes they had of hauling themselves back into the game were dashed five minutes before the break, Wright showing some good close control to lash the ball into the bottom corner.

The visitors had the ball in the Eastleigh net moments later, but their joy was short-lived as referee David Woolford blew his whistle for an infringement.

Then, after Wishart couldn’t take advantage of a parried drive from Reason, the latter showed his team-mate how it should be done with a superb curling effort into the top corner.

As expected, the second half was a much quieter affair, and although they had more of the ball, there was no reward for Phil Simkin’s men.

A few half-chances came and went, and Jack Twyford, Dan Munday and Clive Makoni all saw some action, but the night belonged to Reason.

He thought he had netted his third on 71 minutes only for his strike to hit the inside of the post.

But, with 10 minutes left, the hat-trick goal arrived courtesy of a close-range finish and, just before the end, substitute Odubade cracked in a sixth.

Eastleigh: Flitney, Spence, Green, Strevens (Collins 46), Dillon, Todd, Reason, Southam, McAllister (Odubade 56), Wright, Wishart (Masterton 71). Subs not used: Noice, Peacock.

Magpies: Walker-Harris, Case, Smeeton, McCarthy, N Walker, Lanahan, Crittenden (Twyford 56), Way, S Walker (Munday 81), Chamberlain, Losasso (Makoni 81). Subs not used: Gleeson, Hanger.

Yellow cards: Eastleigh – None

Magpies – S Walker

Ref: David Woolford (Andover)

Att: 544