Eastleigh 3-2 Weymouth: Danny Whitehall scores late winner

Barnett 40, Maghoma 64, Whitehall 90+3

WEYMOUTH 2

McQuoid 79, Goodship 88

WEYMOUTH were guilty of their own downfall as 10-man Eastleigh capitalised on three defensive errors to earn a dramatic 3-2 win at the Silverlake Stadium.

Eastleigh took the lead through Tyrone Barnett after Weymouth switched off from a long ball, before Jake Hesketh was red carded.

Christian Maghoma scored a second after intercepting Josh Leslie-Smith’s pass but Weymouth fought back strongly in the closing stages.

Brandon Goodship was at the heart of the fightback, crossing for Josh McQuoid to halve the deficit and then bagging his second in three league games with 87 minutes gone.

However, the joy of Goodship’s leveller was short-lived as a routine long ball caught Weymouth out, enabling Danny Whitehall to score a 93rd-minute winner.

READ MORE: Eastleigh 3-2 Weymouth - how it happened

Weymouth’s sixth straight Vanarama National League loss will infuriate Weymouth boss Brian Stock, who made three changes to the side that began the 1-0 win at Hungerford.

Martell Taylor-Crossdale dropped to the bench, while Leon Davies returned to parent club Cambridge United. Sean Shields was absent from the squad completely.

In came skipper McQuoid, scorer of the winning goal at Hungerford, plus midfielder Tom Solanke and Leslie-Smith.

On the bench, Tom Bearwish and Brad Ash retained their places in the squad after ankle injuries, joining fellow strikers Taylor-Crossdale and Goodship.

Under-23 stars Dan Neild, Matty Burrows and Harrison Bruton missed out – the latter with a broken finger sustained last time out.

That handed a place in the 16 for recalled custodian Gerard Benfield.

Covid-19 outbreak and injuries considered, this was a near full-strength squad for Weymouth, who looked to err on the side of caution with their tactics.

Weymouth were organised after their two-week lay-off and withstood a spell of pressure from Eastleigh in the opening 10 minutes, Barnett clipping a cross to the near post where keeper Ross Fitzsimons punched clear.

Former Eastleigh man Tom Blair then found McQuoid with an exquisite ball only for the Spitfires to force Weymouth back to halfway.

Tom Blair, right, carried a threat against his former club Eastleigh Picture: MARK PROBIN

Weymouth breathed a sigh of relief when Tyler Cordner gifted possession away, only for Hesketh to boot his cross straight behind.

At the other end, Blair looked lively and won two corners before a third was claimed by Eastleigh keeper Joe McDonnell.

Cordner speared a diagonal ball to McQuoid out wide, the skipper’s control deserting him, and by the midway point of the half neither goalkeeper had had a save to make.

Weymouth survived a miscued clearance from Ollie Harfield before another clever Cordner pass nearly found Cameron Murray, but for the quick response of McDonnell to sweep up.

Weymouth pressured Eastleigh from a number of corners in the first half Picture: MARK PROBIN

Weymouth continued to push and saw Taofiq Olomowewe head towards the back post, Eastleigh doing well to clear.

After what had been an even, if a little dull, first half it was Eastleigh who opened the scoring.

Weymouth switched off from a McDonnell kick and Hill scampered to the byline before crossing for Barnett to fire home in the 40th minute.

Eastleigh suffered a setback in controversial circumstances when Hesketh was shown a straight red for alleged dissent – several seconds after being penalised for a foul.

Hesketh’s dismissal had pushed the door ajar for Weymouth to get back into the game, but instead it was Eastleigh who looked as if they were playing against 10 men.

Winning three corners in 10 minutes, Eastleigh put pressure on Weymouth, who were sloppy in possession.

Goodship came on for Solanke and the striker proceeded to miss a glorious chance from Harfield’s teasing cross.

His miss was punished when Eastleigh went 2-0 up courtesy of another defensive error.

Leslie-Smith was culpable, presenting the ball to Maghoma and the Eastleigh number five did the rest, darting into the box and lashing home.

Josh Leslie-Smith was culpable for Eastleigh's second goal Picture: MARK PROBIN

Following a disturbance in the away end, during which at least three fans were ejected, Weymouth improved.

The Terras put together a couple of attractive passing moves – the latter yielding a goal for McQuoid.

Goodship was the driving force, penetrating the box and teeing up his skipper to glance a header into the corner in the 79th minute.

It set up a grandstand finish and the home nerves were jangling when Olomowewe’s header found Goodship who fired in a shot, Eastleigh frantically clearing off the line.

Weymouth got the equaliser their late flourish deserved when the determined Goodship slid in a finish into the corner.

But there was late agony for the visitors as yet another defensive slip-up allowed sub Whitehall to race onto a hopeful long ball and beat Fitzsimons, sealing a gift-wrapped three points.

Eastleigh: McDonnell, Hare, Boyce, Broadbent, Kelly, Smart (Bradshaw 87), Maghoma, Pritchard, Hesketh, Barnett (Whitehall 69), Hill (Bragg 90+4). Subs not used: Flitney, Torniainen.

Terras: Fitzsimons, Cordner, Mussa (Bearwish 72), McQuoid, Leslie-Smith (Taylor-Crossdale 84), Robinson, Blair, Murray, Solanke (Goodship 53), Harfield, Olomowewe. Subs not used: Ash, Benfield.

Referee: Tom Bishop

Attendance: 2,839