Blair's stoppage-time equaliser earned Eastleigh a hard-fought point in a 1-1 National League draw at Barrow on Saturday. The Spitfires showed resilience to fight back after falling behind in the 94th minute, with Blair finding the net seven minutes later.
Barrow's Mooney looked to have won it for the hosts when he scored late in added time, assisted by Cameron. Eastleigh responded almost immediately, with Blair converting from a Stone pass in the 101st minute to snatch a share of the spoils.
The result leaves Eastleigh 17th in the National League standings with 18 points from 15 games, a record of five wins, three draws and seven losses. Their recent form has been mixed, with two wins, one draw and two losses from their last five outings, including a 2-0 defeat at Forest Green Rovers three days earlier where Will Grigg and F. Mabete scored. This follows a sequence of results that saw a 4-2 win over Boston United, a 3-2 victory against Brentwood Town, a 2-0 loss to AFC Hornchurch, and a 1-3 defeat to Woking. With 18 goals scored and 24 conceded, their goal difference stands at minus six, and they are 23 points behind league leaders Boreham Wood.
Managerial changes were made during the contest, with Koiki replacing Johnson at half-time for the visitors. Stone was introduced for Eweka with nine minutes of normal time remaining and provided the key assist for the leveller. Barrow's Otegbayo, Thompson and Kévin Kouyaté all received yellow cards.
Attention now turns to the FA Cup, where Eastleigh host Shrewsbury Town at the Silverlake Stadium next Saturday. After that, the league campaign resumes with a home fixture against high-flying AFC Fylde, who currently sit fourth, on Saturday 14 November. With 18 goals scored and 24 conceded this season, the Spitfires will look to build on this battling away performance as they handle a challenging period. The point gained at Holker Street could prove valuable in their quest to climb the standings.
