In a match that could affect the race for promotion to League Two, Eastleigh are set to host Oldham Athletic at Silverlake Stadium on Tuesday in their 25th National League game of 2024-25.
While the hosts are in 12th place with 34 points, they are only five points and five spots from the final promotion playoff spot, whereas the visitors are in fifth place with 43 points from 22 matchweeks but were beaten 2-1 by Hartlepool United on January 1.
Match preview
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Eastleigh drew 1-1 with third-placed Barnet on New Year's Day last time out in the league, and they will be satisfied with a point considering Barnet dominated most statistics, accumulating 71% possession, producing 11 shots compared to Eastleigh's four and playing 444 more passes than their opponents.
Manager Kelvin Davis's side have scored 33 goals and conceded 31 times in the league this season, and these are the division's 12th best offensive and 11th best defensive records
The hosts are set to play Oldham on January 7 and then play the reverse fixture on January 11, and they have won one, drawn one and lost two of their four games against Tuesday's opponents.
Davis's team have proven difficult to beat for some time considering they are unbeaten in their last nine matches, drawing five and winning four.
However, it should be noted that Eastleigh's home form is concerning given they have triumphed in just one of their eight most recent matches, losing three in that period.
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The visitors come into the clash having lost against ninth-placed Hartlepool, a game in which they took the lead in the 20th minute but conceded twice from close range and trailed 2-1 by the 53rd minute.
Boss Micky Mellon criticised his players for struggling in the final third, saying: "The players have got the plaudits and absolutely deservedly so, just today for whatever reason we just didn't do enough. Then with the ball we kind of huffed and puffed but really didn't look like we had anybody that could maybe open the door."
Oldham have two games in hand on first-placed York City, who have 51 points and occupy the league's only automatic promotion spot, and they also have three games in hand on fourth-placed Gateshead and third-placed Barnet.
Mellon's side had won the three games prior to their defeat against Hartlepool by a cumulative score of 8-6, and it will no doubt concern him that his team have conceded two goals in five of their last six fixtures.
The Latics' record away from home is poor, with the club having been defeated in three of their four most recent outings on the road and winning just once in their last five.
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Team News
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Eastleigh could name a similar starting XI to the side that drew with Barnet, so expect goalkeeper Joe McDonnell to be shielded by centre-backs Lloyd Humphries, Ludwig Francillette and Niall Maher.
Jake Taylor, Dominic Gape and Angel Waruih appeared in midfield last time out, and they could start behind strikers Tyrese Shade and Paul McCallum.
As for Oldham, they may select a back three featuring Reagan Ogle, Charlie Raglan and Emmanuel Monthe in front of Matthew Hudson.
Josh Lundstram is likely to start at the base of a midfield three, with Dan Gardner and Sam Clucas positioned slightly further ahead.
Josh Stones partnered James Norwood in a front two last time out against Hartlepool, but Mike Fondop-Talum is almost certain to come in for Stones given he is the team's stop scorer in the league.
Eastleigh possible starting lineup:
McDonnell; Humphries, Francillette, Maher; Brindley, Taylor, Gape, Waruih, Boutin; Shade, McCallum
Oldham Athletic possible starting lineup:
Hudson; Ogle, Raglan, Monthe; Caprice, Gardner, Lundstram, Clucas, Kitching; Fondop-Talum, Norwood
We say: Eastleigh 2-1 Oldham Athletic
Oldham's poor defensive record in recent weeks should be cause for concern amongst fans, and it would be surprising if they kept a clean sheet on Tuesday.
Eastleigh have not been easily beaten in the past weeks, and they should be confident of achieving a positive result, especially given the visitors' poor record away from home.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Lewis Nolan
