Eastleigh captain Jake Taylor scored an 81st-minute winner against Southend to earn a 2-1 National League victory hours after Scott Bartlett was appointed as Spitfires boss.
Taylor capitalised on a fumble by goalkeeper Collin Andeng-Ndi, under pressure from Paul McCallum, to blast into an empty net.
Eastleigh sacked Kelvin Davis at the weekend and only announced Bartlett, whose first game in charge will be Saturday’s trip to Wealdstone, as their new manager a few hours before kick-off.
Both teams had chances in the first half, with Keenan Appiah-Forson hitting the crossbar and Cav Miley, who left Eastleigh in 2022, seeing his shot blocked on the line.
Temitope Eweka was brilliantly denied by Andeng-Ndi in stoppage time but the visitors’ goalkeeper could do nothing about Aaron Blair’s fierce shot five minutes into the second half.
Andy Dallas made it five goals in his last five games with the equaliser when Eastleigh failed to clear a corner but Taylor had the final word.
