EASTLEIGH boss Lee Bradbury credited his side for another victory against Oldham on Saturday. despite being 'bare bones'.
Danny Whitehall netted a second-half winner as Eastleigh got their National League play-off bid back on track with a 1-0 victory over Oldham at Silverlake Stadium.
The Spitfires saw their seven-game unbeaten run come to an end at lowly Yeovil on Tuesday but moved into fifth place following a seventh win in nine.
Speaking after the game, Bradbury reflected on a win that saw his side consolidate their pace in the National League play-off positions.
"Massive result for us," the 47-year-old told club media. "With us being sort of bare bones in having six out injured, two suspended.
"It was always going to be a tough game for us today. Their last two away games they've beaten Barnet and Chesterfield so we always knew it was going to be tight.
"They don't concede many goals so 1-0, either way, was always going to be the result. I felt if a goal was going to be scored. Really pleased to get that one over the line and give ourselves a chance to stay in the playoffs.
"We've tried to stay in games and give ourselves a chance of winning games and I think we're one-off now the club record for clean sheets. That's really important because it always the forward-thinking players the opportunity to win us a game 1-0."
Two of the form teams in the fifth tier could not be separated for over an hour.
The closest either side came to taking the lead arrived nine minutes before the break when on-loan Oldham midfielder John Rooney fired in a shot which produced a fine save from Eastleigh goalkeeper Joe McDonnell.
Mike Fondop then diverted a Rooney free-kick wide as Oldham threatened at the start of the second half before Whitehall, who grabbed both Eastleigh goals in the 3-2 loss in the reverse fixture in September, let fly from 25 yards in the 72nd minute for his 13th goal of the season.
Jake Scrimshaw missed a great chance to add a second in stoppage time when through one-on-one but Oldham keeper Magnus Norman saved well.
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