Jayden Harris scored the second goal of his Eastleigh spell in a high-scoring draw in the National League.

The Carlisle United loanee struck the Spitfires’ third goal in a 4-4 draw with Dagenham & Redbridge.

Harris headed home a corner early in the second half in Hampshire.

It capped the 24-year-old’s return to the starting line-up having been a substitute for the Boxing Day defeat to the same opponents.

The goal on New Year’s Day was Harris’ first in the league this season and came in the 14th appearance of his spell with Richard Hill’s side.

The midfielder, who was also booked during his 81-minute appearance, is on loan with Eastleigh until the middle of this month.

Next up for Harris and his 11th-placed team-mates is an FA Cup third round trip to take on League Two side Newport County this Saturday.

Also on the loan front, youth team midfielder Sam Hetherington got another start for Workington Reds as they began 2024 with a 2-2 draw with Bamber Bridge.

The 17-year-old was in Danny Grainger’s XI and played the first 74 minutes at Borough Park.

Hetherington, who is on a work experience loan, saw Reds go 2-0 up thanks to a brace from top scorer Dav Symington, before the visitors hit back through Ewan Bange’s penalty and a Danny Forbes strike.

It left Grainger’s side 15th in the Northern Premier League Premier Division table ahead of next Saturday’s trip to Radcliffe, which will see former Carlisle man Luke Joyce bring down the curtain on his playing career.

United’s other two young loanees, meanwhile, were not in action on Monday, with Max Kilsby and Kai Nugent’s Annan Athletic without a game – the Galabankies return at home to Montrose in Scottish League One this weekend, Kilsby having started in Saturday's 2-1 derby defeat at Queen of the South, when former Carlisle man Gavin Reilly scored the hosts' winner after Kilsby had claimed an assist for Aidan Smith's Annan opener.

A decision on Kilsby's immediate future is due, with his half-season loan set to expire, while Nugent is with Peter Murphy's Annan for the full campaign.

A number of other ex-Blues were in the thick of the New Year action, meanwhile.

In the National League, Chris Beech enjoyed victory over his former club as his AFC Fylde side defeated Rochdale 2-0 to move off the bottom of the table.

Mark Beck scored for Solihull Moors before Chesterfield came from 2-0 down to win 3-2.

Stephen Walker, the ex-Middlesbrough forward who was on trial with United last summer, scored Whitby Town’s third in their 3-0 win over Ilkeston Town in NPL Premier – a game which also saw another recent recruit, ex-Blues attacker Nathan Thomas, in action for Whitby.