MARK Dennis reckons Eastleigh are the club others must seek to emulate in local non-League football.

Barring a disaster of monumental proportions, last Saturday's 3-0 win at Northwood has guaranteed them a place in next month's Ryman Premier play-offs - and Dennis reckons it's enough to make rival clubs green with envy.

"To get back-to-back promotions and now get into the play-offs is unbelievable," he said. "I think Roger (chairman Roger Sherwood) would have been happy to have finished halfway.

"This season has gone better than we'd ever dreamed of and sides like Salisbury must feel like cutting their throats when they think of the big gates and prestige the play-offs will bring us.

"Eastleigh are setting the example and it's up to the others to follow."

Even as he uttered those words, the straight-talking ex-Saint was anticipating a backlash.

"I expect people will come out with the same old stuff about us spending loads of money etc., but that's rubbish," he said. "I bet our wage bill is less than Salisbury's and six or seven others in this league.

"I'll tell you what our success is down to - hard work and buying the right players at the right time.

"Looking at the bigger picture, we'd like to get into the Conference South and maybe higher, but we've achieved nothing yet this season. We're not out of this division yet. There's still everything to play for."

With two games remaining, at home to Heybridge Swifts tomorrow and away to Dover on April 30, Eastleigh are determined to cling onto third place for home advantage in the play-offs - or even nick second if Billericay wobble again after their midweek blip against Chelmsford.

If coach Nicky Banger has anything to do with it, Eastleigh will be the fittest team, both mentally and physically, in the May 3-4 play-off semi-finals.

"I'm training them even harder now because I want to instill some mental toughness and make sure we're not lagging in the last five or ten minutes," he said.

"We've won nothing yet and I don't want us to settle for second best, I want us to get promoted. We're on a wave of success right now and we've got to keep riding it. At some stage we're bound to stagnate a bit, maybe in the Conference South, but for now we must make this last and keep this momentum going as long as we can."

Apart from their long-term absentees, Eastleigh are in good shape to face Heybridge tomorrow. Andy Forbes and Mark Blake have slight niggles but should be fit to play.