Eastleigh manager Matt Gray has admitted that his players are not as fit as he would like after his side suffered a 1-0 defeat to Kidderminster Harriers on Saturday. The Spitfires, who had won their opening game against Gateshead 2-1, struggled to maintain their form in the second half, conceding the only goal in the 78th minute through Levi Amantchi's effort, which secured Kidderminster's first win back in the National League.
Gray, speaking to club media, highlighted the fitness concerns, stating, 'It probably shows a bit where we're at in terms of the bodies. I just don't feel as though we're not as fit as we need to be because of circumstances that we've had.' He added, 'I just felt that probably showed in our performance, especially in the final stages.' The manager was also critical of his team's inability to convert their opportunities, saying, 'A newly promoted team. First home game back in the division. A new manager and the reaction after their defeat last week. I thought we really stood up to that and got in some decent areas but just lacked a bit of quality in the final third with our crossing and final shot.'
Gray acknowledged the competitive nature of the first half, but felt that Eastleigh were on the back foot in the second half, struggling to regain control of the game. 'Second half, I felt we were on the back foot and we couldn’t really get on the ball and get up the pitch. We didn’t really get any quality into our play,' he concluded. The manager remains optimistic about the team's prospects, despite the setback, and will be looking to address the fitness issues in the coming weeks to ensure a better performance in future matches.
