Eastleigh face Shrewsbury Town in the FA Cup first round at Silverlake Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The tie offers a break from league concerns for a side sitting 17th in the National League with 18 points from 15 games, a position detailed in the current league standings. Their record of five wins, three draws and seven losses has left them 23 points behind leaders Boreham Wood.
Their recent form has been mixed, with two wins, a draw and two defeats in their last five outings. They come into the cup match on the back of a 1-1 draw away at Barrow, where Blair scored a dramatic stoppage-time equaliser in the eleventh minute of added time, assisted by B. Stone. Before that, they suffered a 2-0 loss at Forest Green Rovers, where goals from W. Grigg and F. Mabete secured the win for the hosts. In the five games prior to this cup tie, their results were a draw with Barrow, a loss to Forest Green, a 4-2 win over Boston United, a 3-2 victory against Brentwood Town, and a 2-0 defeat to AFC Hornchurch.
Shrewsbury, who play in League One, have been more consistent lately with three wins from their last five matches. Their most recent game was a 2-1 defeat to Gillingham last weekend. The visitors are expected to field a strong side, with their last starting lineup featuring goalkeeper William Michael Brook in a 3-4-1-2 formation.
Team selection
Eastleigh's manager is likely to select from the group that featured against Forest Green. That side included Townsend in goal, with Caprice, Eweka and Tobi-Dobson Ventura in defence. Midfield options include Sidwell, Cousins and Dickov, while Blair will be hoping to lead the line after his late goal at Barrow. The full squad available for selection can be viewed on the club's squad page.
The Spitfires are 23 points behind National League leaders Boreham Wood. This cup match provides a different kind of test and a potential financial boost. In the league this season, Eastleigh have scored 18 goals but conceded 24, giving them a goal difference of negative six. The cup tie kicks off at 3pm on Saturday at Silverlake Stadium.
