Hartlepool United manager Kevin Phillips pleased with another solid defensive showing in Saturday's 1-1 draw with Eastleigh

Pools had to contend with Paul McCallum, who is the National League's leading scorer with 30 goals, as well as 6'4'' Scott Quigley and former Sunderland frontman Chris Maguire.

Pools stood up to the task well in Hampshire, with Tom Parkes and Luke Waterfall limiting McCallum to a couple of half chances in the first period.

The hosts were much more threatening after the break and Pete Jameson had to make a number of sharp saves but even then Pools could well have kept a second successive clean sheet had it not been for the referee's controversial decision to award Eastleigh a penalty.

And despite his disappointment at failing to secure another shutout, Phillips was delighted with how his defenders coped against one of the league's most potent front lines.

"When I've had Luke and Tom together - and this is no disrespect to any of the other centre-halves - we just look so solid," he said.

"They've dealt really well with one of the most powerful centre-forwards in this league and obviously the top goalscorer.

"We nullified them and limited them to virtually nothing in the first half.

"They were a lot more threatening in the second half and we probably just gave them a little bit too much space.

"When you're under pressure it can be tempting to drop off - it's natural but it's something we need to work on.

"We put our bodies on the line and the lads really deserved a clean sheet, I'm gutted for them.

"There were loads and loads of positives."