Boreham Wood will be looking to bounce back from defeat last weekend when they host playoff rivals Eastleigh at Meadow Park in the National League on Saturday afternoon.

The hosts were well beat at Solihull Moors last time out, while Eastleigh came out as victors in a five-goal thriller against Altrincham.

Match preview

Boreham Wood's 14-game unbeaten run in the fifth tier came to an abrupt end last Saturday after goals from Mark Beck and Joshua Kelly condemned the visitors to a 2-0 loss at Solihull Moors.

The Wood had won five-straight matches - while recording clean sheets in all of those games - before that loss in the West Midlands last weekend, so it will not be a miserable atmosphere among the players ahead of this Eastleigh clash.

Luke Garrard's men sit seventh in the National League table after a sensational run of form over the past few months, and they now possess a six-point advantage over eighth-placed Wealdstone.

With the likes of Notts County, Woking and Chesterfield set to end up in the playoffs, Boreham Wood face a tricky assignment of turning a potential top-seven finish into a glorious promotion to League Two, but belief will be high in the Hertfordshire camp.

Eastleigh will be nervously looking over their shoulder between now and the end of the regular campaign, with an inconsistent spell in March allowing the likes of Boreham Wood to gain ground in the playoff race.

Having scored just four goals in the six matches previous, the Spitfires managed three against Altrincham last Saturday to secure a much-needed victory at Silverlake Stadium, with Christian Maghoma netting the eventual winner.

Lee Bradbury's side are currently sixth in the league table heading into this weekend's round of fixtures, eight points ahead of Wealdstone in eighth - albeit the Stones have played a game fewer.

The Spitfires have struggled massively on the road this season, with only five of their 19 National League wins so far coming away from their Hampshire home of Silverlake Stadium.

Team News

Boreham Wood will be without the services of defender David Stephens on Saturday following the 31-year-old's loan move to National League South outfit Dulwich Hamlet.

Garrard is expected to make a few alterations to the side who lost at Solihull last time out, with Josh Rees and Dennon Lewis pushing for starts.

Eastleigh are expected to name an unchanged side from the one which defeated Altrincham last weekend, with Danny Whitehall looking to score his 13th fifth-tier goal of the season.

Kairo Mitchell netted the Spitfires' second goal last time out and the 23-year-old should be rewarded with another starting berth at Boreham Wood in this one.

Boreham Wood possible starting lineup:
Ashmore; Agbontohoma, Ilesanmi, Fyfield, Bush; Sousa, Broadbent, Payne, Brunt; Ndlovu, Marsh

Eastleigh possible starting lineup:
McDonnell; Martin, Maghoma, Langston, Kelly; Rutherford, Carter, McKiernan, Cisse; Whitehall, Mitchell

We say: Boreham Wood 2-1 Eastleigh

Boreham Wood will still be full of confidence despite their unbeaten run coming to an end last time out, meaning supporters will be expecting an immediate response and three points on Saturday afternoon.

Eastleigh just about managed to earn a maximum against Altrincham last weekend, but we believe their inconsistent run of form will continue at Meadow Park.


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