'Absolutely gutted' - Eastleigh caretaker manager reacts to late Chesterfield defeat

The hosts, who sacked manager Ben Strevens in midweek, were edged out thanks to Curtis Weston’s ‘worldie’ 89th minute volley.

The game was an even contest throughout and both camps suggested a draw would have been a fair result.

“I am absolutely gutted,” Bristow said.

"We asked the players to give us 100 per cent today and that is exactly what we have done.

"They have worked ever so hard without the ball. Did we create enough chances to win it? Possibly not, but it was about staying in the game and making sure we were hard to beat and we were hard to beat. It has taken an absolute worldie to beat us at the death so I am gutted for the players.

“We can take a lot of pride in the performance but, at the end of the day, we have lost 1-0 so it is disappointing.”

Bristow said Eastleigh’s players were ‘really down’ after the news about Strevens.

He added:"The performance is something we can build on but unfortunately not the result.

"I think we kept a good shape, we kept a good structure in what we were doing. Did we threaten them enough? Possibly not in open play. We had a couple of moments. Tyrone Barnett had a headed chance in the first-half, Vincent Harper’s had a shot from distance which was a great save and a couple of moments from set-pieces in the second-half."