Football Season Guide

Eastleigh showed last season that they are forced to be reckoned with, reaching the play-offs in their first season upon promotion, and the financially well-backed Hampshire club are setting their sights even higher in the upcoming campaign. Richard Hill has assembled another impressive squad full of good players and will be confident that the added know-how of an year in the division will hold the team in good stead. Eastleigh froze just when it mattered the most last season as they never really gave a good account of themselves in the play-off clashes against Grimsby, losing both legs comprehensively. But the players should learn from the disappointment and there are very fee teams who can claim that they are stronger or have a deeper squad than the Spitfires at the moment. Josh Payne is definitely their best summer signing as the Woking man was snapped up to provide guile, passing quality and composure in midfield. It could be argued that Payne has been the best midfielder in the Conference Premier for the past two seasons and is certainly a major coup for Hill. On the top of that, classy wide men like Andy Drury and Lee Cook will bring something that has been missing in the team last season, pace and directness down the flanks. Added to that is the fact that Joe Partington will remain on permanent basis after a very impressive loan spell in the second half of last season. Ross Lafayette is a good capture up front too as he was excellent for Welling at this level in 2013-14 and could thrive if given a chance. Added to that is already a very capable squad that has not really seen any major departures, but for Harry Pell and Craig Stanley. Therefore, Eastleigh definitely look stronger than the team that finished fourth last season and Hill will be expecting his men to build on that success and challenge for the title. It is definitely not beyond them and the Spitfires should be taken very seriously by every other promotion contender.