Eastleigh confirm Matt Gray departure after AFC Flyde defeat

National League club Eastleigh have confirmed they have parted company with manager Matt Gray less than 24 hours after Saturday’s home defeat against AFC Fylde.

The former National League title winner was appointed as Spitfires boss in May as he returned to the club he served as an assistant manager between 2007 and 2011. He oversaw a positive start to his first season in charge as his side lost just one of their first five games and hopes were high that a positive campaign was on the cards.

Progress in the FA Cup was also secured as a fourth qualifying round win against Brentwood Town set up last weekend’s first round tie against Shrewsbury Town. The League Two side were given a scare by Gray’s men as only a late goal from Isaac Fletcher helped the visitors earn a 2-1 win at Silverlake Stadium.

Speaking to The Echo in the aftermath of that loss, Gray expressed his desire to ‘bring stability’ to the club and build on the more positive moments of the campaign.

He said: “I want to bring stability to this club and build for the future. One thing I’ve seen from my first day is their refusal to die. We have a brilliant team spirit. We’ve taken points off of Southend, Boreham Wood, Barrow and now we’ve given Shrewsbury a real scare. Those are great foundations to build on.

“Obviously we weren’t going to be at my expected level during the Crawley game. But we’ve made smart signings and tweaked things here and there. That game seems a long time ago now because of how far we’ve come. We’re constantly improving and, looking at us now, we’re chalk and cheese.”

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‘The club would like to thank Matt for his efforts’

However, league defeats against the likes of Altrincham, Harrogate Town and Gray’s former club Sutton over the last two months have led to a slide down the table and Saturday’s loss against Fylde ensured the Spitfires will head into next weekend’s visit to Tamworth sitting just three points and three places above the relegation zone.

A short club statement released on Sunday afternoon confirmed his departure as his six-month reign was brought to an end. It read: “Eastleigh Football Club can today confirm that we have parted company with first-team manager Matt Gray with immediate effect. The club would like to thank Matt for his efforts during his tenure and wish him all the best for the future. Further updates regarding the management situation will follow in due course.”

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