Given their first chance this season to pick up a Blue Square South double, Sutton United went very close against play-off chasing Eastleigh on Saturday.

In the end, they had to settle for a share of the points after a stalemate that Craig Dundas came closest to ending when his first half shot rebounded off the post.

Looking to avenge the earlier home defeat that Ross Montague's two goals had inflicted in September, and fresh from a convincing win at in form Fisher seven days earlier, Eastleigh began confidently in search of all three points.

Kevin Davies, making his competitive Sutton debut in place of the unavailable Phil Wilson, was in early action, twisting acrobatically to tip the ball over the bar after Paul Sales' header had looped goalwards from an Andy Harris cross.

Despite some good early possession, that was as close as the visitors were to come in the fist half, although Davies did look on with relief as a Chris Piper free-kick took a wicked deflection but bounced wide of the post.

The lively Mark Marshall also tested him with a firm glancing header, but after that United's keeper was rarely troubled as the home side slowly but surely took control.

The moment that could have seen them take the lead came just after the half hour mark as Harry Ottaway put Dundas through in the inside right channel, but his low drive bounced back into Dave Wilkinson's arms off the inside of the post.

It may have taken United 15 minutes or so to get going, but they ended the half on top and when Ball charged down an attempted clearance the ball fell nicely for Dundas on the left.

His square ball was rifled over the top from 25 yards by Jason Goodchild, who did well for United deputising for the injured Paul Honey.

Sutton took an even firmer grip after the interval but continued to suffer from the season-long problem of not enough invention.

A great tackle by Alan Bray deep in his own half initiated a move that saw the hard-working Nicky Greene, also impressive on his return to the starting line-up, break down the middle but his pass to the unmarked Steffan Ball was overhit and Wilkinson gathered in safely.

Matt Hann did break through a square looking United defence only to hit the ball first time from outside the box and put his effort wide.

But it was Sutton looking the likelier side to score and Tom Hughes, in for the ineligible Karim El-Salahi, headed over the bar after out-jumping the Eastleigh defence from Greene's corner.

Ball tried to set up Greene after a surge down the middle but Sutton kept the ball live and Goodchild's shot took a slight deflection into the side netting.

Dundas might have done better when he headed over after escaping his marker from a free-kick. Karl Murray made his debut for Eastleigh after his move from Grays as a substitute when Andy Forbes, a regular scorer in past meetings between the sides, was forced off injured.

It was Murray who came closest to grabbing a late goal when his shot was well saved by Davies.

To have had nothing from the game would have been no justice for Sutton, whose position at the bottom of the table looked no less precarious after the game but who will have taken confidence from the performance ahead of the next fortnight's crunch games against Dorchester and Bognor.

Sutton: K Davies, D Sammut, A Bray, T Hughes, J Scarborough, B Alimi, J Goodchild, N Greene, S Ball, C Dundas, H Ottaway. Subs n/u U Opara, L Wright, R Hughes, J McLoughlin, J Horne. Booked: T Hughes.Eastleigh: D Wilkinson, A Harris, C Piper, P Adeniyi, W Goodhind, C Collins, M Hann, A Forbes(sub K Murray 55), P Sales(sub J Brown 71), A Riviere, M Marshall. Subs n/u L Byles, F Simpson, W Shaw. Booked: Harris, Hann.Referee: M Rowley (Reading)Attendance: 455