National League match abandoned after sickening head clash as player hospitalised | OneFootball

A National League clash between Eastleigh and Scunthorpe was abandoned in stoppage time after a sickening clash of heads.

Eastleigh defender Archie Harris collided with Scunthorpe's Jean Belehouan, with Harris since being admitted to hospital for further checks.

The game at Silverlake Stadium was level at 1-1 after Eastleigh had equalised in the first minute of stoppage time when Harvey Saunders bundled home from Paul McCallum's header across goal, cancelling out Declan Howe's late strike for the visitors.

Play, though, was then initially paused in the seventh minute of added time after a collision between Harris and Scunthorpe defender Belehouan.

With both men receiving medical treatment from paramedics on the pitch, the referee told the rest of the players to go to the changing rooms, before the match was subsequently abandoned.

Scunthorpe later said defender Belehouan, who sat up before being transferred on to a wheelchair and taken from the field of play, had returned to the dressing room and appeared to be "responding well to testing" as further checks continued.

Eastleigh then confirmed defender Harris, on a season-long loan from Bournemouth, had been admitted to hospital and was "conscious and talking".

The club added in a statement on X: "We will provide further updates to supporters in due course."

Wales Under-21 international Harris had twice been an unused substitute for Bournemouth in Premier League match squads last season, but has not made a first-team appearance.

Scunthorpe manager Andy Butler told the club's YouTube channel: "JB's (Belehouan) a bit numb down one side of his face, but I think it was more of the initial shock of seeing a fellow professional laid next to you.

"I thought it was a bit of a reckless challenge, but I'm not here to berate the player because obviously he's got a serious injury and I wish him all the best."