Dale couldn’t open the scoring despite a dominant first-half, but Allarakhia’s brace secured a deserved victory that keeps Jimmy McNulty’s men at the top of the Enterprise National League table.
Goalkeeper Nathan Broome, who has signed on a month’s loan from Bolton Wanderers, replaced the injured Oliver Whatmuff in goal. Joe Pritchard started his first match after returning from a knee injury, whilst on the bench was left-side defender Ryan Galvin, who joined this week on loan from Barnet.
Dale controlled the game from the outset, with Devante Rodney firing wide early on and Kyron Gordon forcing Eastleigh goalkeeper Nick Townsend into a strong stop from a fierce effort.
Townsend held on to Tarryn Allarakhia’s shot from the edge of the area, whilst at the other end, debutant Broome made a smart stop from Josh Lundstram’s shot inside the area.
Allarakhia was proving a danger for the visitors, having a shot deflected wide before his stunning acrobatic effort was rebuffed by Townsend at his near post.
Kieron Evans sent a long-range shot from distance narrowly wide for the Spitfires in a rare foray forward, just prior to Allarakhia turning a cross goalbound at the back post, only to be denied by Townsend on the line.
However, nine minutes after the restart, Allarakhia’s persistence paid off. Rodney worked it out Dale’s number seven, who put a dangerous ball in towards the far post area that took a deflection on its way into the back of the net.
The visitors responded well as Lundstram sent a diving header into the side netting, but Dale had chances to double through substitutes Connor McBride and Aidan Barlow, seeing one saved and one hit off target.
The two-goal cushion did come with a little over a quarter of an hour remaining, though. Tobi Adebayo-Rowling’s cross from the right was flicked towards Allarakhia at the back post, who cushioned a volley into the far top corner.
It was comfortable from there on in for McNulty’s men. Dieseruvwe was inches away from getting on the end of Sam Beckwith’s low ball in. Beckwith then played a superb ball through for Barlow, with the ball finding McBride who had it taken off his toes inside the area.
The win keeps Dale at the top of the table, level on points with Carlisle United, but with a superior goal difference.
Dale XI | Broome, Gordon, East (78’ Pettit), Ebanks-Landell ©, Allarakhia (78’ Galvin), Gilmour (88’ Burger), Dieseruvwe, Rodney (63’ Barlow), Adebayo-Rowling, Pritchard (63’ McBride), Beckwith.
Unused subs | Amantchi, Moss.
Scorers | 54’ 74’ Allarakhia.
Eastleigh XI | Townsend, Brindley, Humphries, Fernandez, Eweka, Evans, McCallum ©, Waite, Saunders (70’ Blair), Lundstram (85’ Waruih), Harris.
Unused subs | McNamara, Vokins, Pierre, Davis, Whitehead.
Attendance | 2,219 (31 away).
