Tommy Wright came off the bench to score a crucial second goal as Sutton United beat Eastleigh 2-0 at the Knights Community Stadium on Saturday to return to the top of the Vanarama National League.

The 21-year-old striker raced onto a headed flick from Ross Lafayette to send a sublime lob high over Spitfires' goalkeeper Graham Stack and into the net in the 82nd minute having been brought on by U's boss Paul Doswell just 12 minutes earlier. 

Tom Bolarinwa, the man Wright replaced, had put Sutton ahead in the 13th minute when he punished some sloppy defending from Callum Howe to take the ball away from Stack before neatly rolling the ball into the net. 

Former York City midfielder Simon Heslop's low drive from 20 yards narrowly missed the target as the Spitfires briefly threatened an equaliser.

Kieron Cadogan tried his luck from a similar distance forcing Stack into making a save low down to his left and moments later he ghosted in on the blind side of the Eastleigh defence and once again saw his powerful close range effort blocked by Stack.

In the 38th minute United midfielder Kenny Davis was forced off with a hamstring injury.

Davis has made some telling contributions to Sutton's outstanding season so far but the disappointment of his premature departure was tempered somewhat by the return to action of his replacement, Craig Eastmond, who made his first appearance for the U's since sustaining a nasty injury at Hartlepool six weeks ago.

Eastmond, who was immediately on the receiving end of some robust Eastleigh challenges, almost set-up a second for the U's before half-time. His ball over the top was met by a fearsome drive from Lafayette that flew inches over the crossbar.

Sutton controlled the game in the second half and a fine cross from the right by the impressive Dan Spence fell invitingly into the path of Cadogan who couldn't keep his shot down.

United's endeavour deserved a second goal and they were rewarded when Wright kept his cool to lob the ball home from 20 yards for his sixth league goal of the season to spark jubilant scenes on the terraces.

United travel to Leyton Orient this Saturday (December 9), kick-off is 3pm.