Words John Edwards | Picture Jonathan Moore

Eastleigh 1 Altrincham 2

Tom Crawford was always tipped to add goals to his many other admirable qualities, and he is increasingly providing evidence that the forecasts were not wide of the mark.

The versatile summer signing from Hartlepool United showed from the outset the wide-ranging array of attributes he has always possessed, but goalscoring didn't appear to be one of them.

It is now. Time and again, Tom has come up with a priceless finish, and he added another at the Silverlake Stadium this afternoon to seal a win that lifted the Robins back into the Vanarama National League play-off places.

Alex Newby had got Alty off to a flyer with an opening goal in only the sixth minute, but Eastleigh absorbed the blow of going down to 10 men following a 24th minute sending-off by promptly levelling matters moments later.

It wasn't easy for the Robins to make their extra man count, but they kept plugging away and deservedly did it in the 71st minute when Crawford unerringly swept home his seventh goal since the middle of October.

Newby doesn't normally need a helping hand to find the back of the net, but he was the recipient of one that was gift-wrapped by Eastleigh keeper Joe McDonnell as the Robins helped themselves to a sixth-minute lead.

Quite what McDonnell had in mind is anyone's guess as he rolled the ball forward with his right boot and then took an inexplicably heavy extra touch that allowed Newby to nip in and finish into an empty net.

McDonnell launched himself at Newby as the Alty forward drew back his right foot, but to no avail. In his current free-scoring form, an opportunity like that was not about to be passed up by Alty's attacking midfielder.

The Eastleigh number one looked unnerved by his costly blunder, and when another back pass was played to him in the 16th minute, his sliced attempt at a clearance almost let in Joe Nuttall for a second Alty goal.

The jitters were clearly spreading through the Eastleigh ranks, judging by the way possession was again surrendered with alarming ease, this time by a defender, on the edge of their own area in the 19th minute.

Regan Linney pounced on the misplaced pass on the left of the area and aimed one of his trademark curling shots towards the top corner, missing his target by a fraction as the ball whistled narrowly wide of the far post.

Things went from bad to worse for Eastleigh as they lost Tyrese Shade to a straight red card for an inexcusable moment of indiscipline in the 24th minute.

Charlie Olson was penalised for a slight push on Shade midway inside the Alty half, and when the Eastleigh man squared up to the Robins defender and appeared to make contact with a head butt, the nearby referee had no hesitation in sending him off.

Remarkably, and to Alty's chagrin, the 10 men of Eastleigh hauled themselves level from the resulting free-kick, given for Olson's initial push.

The Robins' defence failed to clear their lines, and Ludwig Francillette grabbed the chance to chest the ball down and send a crisp first-time volley flying past Ethan Ross for a 27th-minute equaliser.

Lucas Weaver was increasingly coming into his own on his first National League start for Alty, and one purposeful run towards the end of the half was only halted by a foul that brought a booking for Lloyd Humphries.

What a chance Alty had to go in front for a second time just three minutes into the second half when a low raking ball from near the halfway line by half-time substitute James Jones found its way through to Linney. 

Alty's leading scorer was clean through in a one-on-one with the keeper, but McDonnell atoned for his earlier blunder with a fine stop.

Lewis Banks fired over from distance in the 69th minute, but Alty were otherwise finding it difficult to make their numerical advantage tell.

They were dominating possession, but clear-cut chances were proving elusive, though there was an enticing glimpse of goal for the Robins in the 70th minute when substitute Jake Bickerstaff laid on an opening that Weaver drilled low and hard against a covering defender.

Finally, the pressure told in the 71st minute, as Crawford added another goal to his recent tally with a clever finish from the edge of the area. A right-wing cross was only half-cleared towards Crawford, and the Alty midfielder left McDonnell flat-footed with a low shot that was well disguised as it flew inside the left-hand post.

Substitute Kahrel Reddin and Linney both might have extended the lead with efforts that were superbly saved by McDonnell, but with Alty's defence standing firm throughout over five minutes of added time, it scarcely mattered.

Alty had climbed into sixth place with a resolve that suggested there may be more upward movement to come as they chase a second successive qualification for the end-of-season play-offs.

Eastleigh McDonnell; Brindley, Humphries (Ryan, 61'), Francillette, Maguire, Taylor (c), Shade, Hodson, Waruih, Boutin (Semenyo, 78'), Maher. Subs not used: Scott, Fernandez, Dotse, Underhill.

Altrincham Ross; Banks (Cooper, 88'), Baines (c), Osborne, Linney, Newby, Weaver (Reddin, 78'), Crawford, Golden, Nuttall (Bickerstaff, 64'), Olson (J.Jones, 46'). Subs not used: German,  Randle, Pasiek. 

HT 1-1

Goals Francillette 27' | Newby 6', Crawford 71'

Yellows Humphries 41', Semenyo 80' | Olson 24', Ross 90'+2

Reds Shade 24' | None

Referee Robert Massey-Ellis

Assistants Martin Bloor & Michael Chard

Fourth official Dean Treleaven

Attendance 1,931 (82 away)

Next Up

After Manchester United u21s have played Danish side Nordsjælland on Tuesday at The J.Davidson Stadium (7pm - tickets here), it's Forest Green Rovers for Alty next Saturday (3pm).

Tickets are on sale right here - hospitality is, however, SOLD OUT once again.

We then host Wolves u21s on Tuesday, January 28th (7:30pm) in the National League Cup where once again admission is FREE, thanks to match sponsor McAuliffe Group (tickets here).