SWINDON Town were shot down in the FA Cup First Round for the fifth consecutive time as they were humbled 3-1 by non-league Eastleigh.

It was a moment of skill that could have been seen in the higher leagues that led to the first goal as the Spitfires carved open the Town defence before Jai Reason applied the finish in the 18th minute.

A fine counter-attack play saw Andy Drury grab the National League side’s second in the 35th minute, sparking the arrival of Tim Sherwood from the stands but it was in vain as Mikael Mandron wrapped up the victory, despite Nathan Delfouneso’s late consolation goal.

True to their word in the pre-match conference, Luke Williams and Sherwood did not use the game as a chance to rest anybody, naming an unchanged team for the first time this season.

Despite returning to full training, there was no place on the bench for striker Jonathan Obika as that also remained the same as the one for Saturday’s 3-0 win over Charlton Athletic.

Eastleigh, wearing striking gold shorts after a kit clash saw them scrambling pre-match, and supported by a vociferous travelling crowd made the better start to the encounter.

Reason had the first sight of goal but saw his effort blocked on the edge of the box as he gave the Town defence an early warning of what was to come.

The breakthrough came in the 18th minute when Scott Wilson was given the ball on the edge of the box and after turning, a slick passing routine between him and Reason saw the latter take the ball past Lloyd Jones before his shot deflected off of Brandon Ormonde-Ottewill and over Lawrence Vigouroux.

Reason, who was anonymous for large parts of the first game at the Silverlake Stadium, looked sprightly and keen to take his chance in the spotlight as he then forced a save out of Vigouroux a minute later.

Swindon were presented with a chance to re-group when Yaser Kasim went down under the challenge of Wilson and had to receive treatment on his ankle.

However, it didn’t have the desired effect as Ormonde-Ottewill was guilty of being sloppy in possession and moments after the re-start and Jones was forced to deflect the ball behind from Reason’s shot.

Wilson was the next Spitfires player to launch an attack on the Swindon box before his cross flashed across the face of goal, forcing Darnell Furlong to turn the ball behind for a corner.

From the resulting set-piece, the ball deflected off Connor Essam at the near post and only the torso of Thomas on the post enabled the ball to go behind for another corner.

Swindon were able to make a rare foray into the Eastleigh box when Michael Doughty played a delightful ball with the outside of his boot to put Luke Norris through one-on-one with Ryan Clarke.

However, the Town striker lacked composure and as he tried to find the gap between the keeper and the near post, could only find the green jersey of the Eastleigh stopper.

Eastleigh knew the shock was more than just a pipe dream in the 35th minute when Wilson picked up the clearance from a Town corner down the left wing.

Surrounded by several bodies, he picked up Dury with precision, with Kasim struggling to get back and the Eastleigh midfielder calmly cut across the Iraqi international before chipping over Vigouroux and the sliding body of Kasim.

The Iraqi international was substituted in the aftermath of the goal and Sherwood had had enough of watching from the stands as he made his way onto the sidelines to make his displeasure clear.

A ball from Ormonde-Ottewill caused panic in the six-yard box of Eastleigh as Clarke could only punch but the ball was cleared before the sound of the referee’s whistle came to the relief of the visitors.

Eastleigh started the second half how they had started the first and it was less than 30 seconds before Town were on the back foot defending a corner.

Doughty again tried to make something happen at the other end in the 49th minute when he got across the front post to meet John Goddard’s corner with a glancing header but it just evaded the Spitfires goal.

Michael Green had many hearts in mouths when he tried his luck from distance and Vigouroux saw the ball spill out of his grasp before he claimed at the second attempt.

Eastleigh’s third came in the 75th minute as Ormonde-Ottewill got his feet in a tangle and fell on the heels of Wilson, with Christopher Sarginson pointing straight to the spot.

Mikael Mandron, the man who scored for Eastleigh in the first game, stepped up for the penalty duty and despite Vigouroux getting something on the ball, the Town stopper could not prevent the ball finding the net.

Eastleigh goalkeeper Clarke did his best to gift Swindon a route into the game as he was caught in possession by Delfouneso before the Town substitute tapped the ball home from inches out but it was mere consolation that Town did little to deserve.

SWINDON TOWN XI: Vigouroux; Ormonde-Ottewill, Jones, Branco, Furlong; Kasim (Rodgers 35’), Thomas (Delfouneso 57’), Goddard, Murray, Doughty; Norris

Unused subs: Henry, Iandolo, Smith, Evans, Barry

Referee: Christopher Sarginson

Attendance: 4,231 (788)