ALTHOUGH the Whites will meet stiffer challenges than Northwood were allowed to muster, a 3-0 hammering of their Hertfordshire hosts left their huge travelling support with thoughts of a late run for the play-offs rather than a fight against relegation.

Salisbury made it six points from six and kept a second consecutive clean sheet as the result saw them jump five places to 14th position in the league.

Assistant manager Barry Blankley said: "Although we had a good win at home last Saturday to Tonbridge, we've built on that and 3-0 away from home is a great result.

"If we have been offered that before the game began we would have snapped it up.

"It was good that we kept a second clean sheet in a row and the attitude and commitment of the players throughout could not be faulted.

"We deserved a win, although it could have been a lot more than 3-0. The two new lads, Tommy Widdrington and Matt Jones, both did well but the team as a whole did well and looked very solid."

Manager Nick Holmes added: "Football can and should be a simple game. Widdrington did exactly what we wanted and expected him to do."

The Whites streamed into attack from the off with Matt Tubbs going close after six minutes and then Craig Davis just missing the target with a good lob moments later.

Playing slick passing football on a difficult surface Widdrington, who had played for Port Vale in a League One match just a few days earlier, first showed in a move involving Shaun Hale and Wayne Turk that saw Turk get away down the left before squaring an inviting ball which Davis just failed to reach.

Davis was one on one with home keeper Dean Lindsay who blocked his effort on ten minutes but Salisbury's efforts were rewarded four minutes later when, under increasing pressure, home defender Stuart Reeks' hasty clearance rebounded of his colleague Luke Evans into the net.

Straight after the break Davis, finding acres of space down the right, sent over a cross to Tubbs but somehow missed the target from no more than five yards.

But this did not prove too costly as Salisbury's second goal arrived on 48 minutes as Robbie Matthews did well to get to the byline. The ball went quickly from Matthews to Tubbs to Turk who finished with a low shot.

On 54-minutes a deep cross by Tubbs found Davis at the far post but his firm downward header was cleared off the line by Mark Dennison.

Northwood's only real chance came in the 67th minute when Ben Abbey fired in a left foot shot that had keeper Kevin Sawyer scrambling across goal.

But the respite was brief as the Whites got their third with 11 minutes remaining.

Widdrington sent a pinpoint ball wide right to Davis who crossed low to the nearpost where Tubbs turned and rifled a low shot past the keeper from a very acute angle.

Transfer listed substitute Adam Wallace might have had a hat-trick in the last ten minutes and that would have made the scoreline a fairer reflection of the game.