THE 4-1 scoreline looked comfortable enough, but Salisbury City were way below their best beating Hastings United last night.
Victory pushes the Whites up to third in the Eastern Division, but assistant manager Tommy Killick admitted: "We didn't play well. Our first half was very poor, but we were a bit better in the second."
City's 29th-minute opener came against the run of play with Matt Tubbs scoring at the second attempt from Craig Davis' near-post cross.
Tubbs turned provider for Adam Wallace to net a deflected right-foot shot in the 61st minute and, four minutes later, Tubbs struck again.
The former Dorchester marksman was at the heart of nearly all Salisbury's attacks and on 70 minutes he took Davis' cross down on his chest and flicked the ball over the keeper for Wayne Turk to finish.
Hastings replied with an 89th-minute Carl Rook penalty after substitute Michael Cooper had pushed Scott Hayhoe.
Dave Leworthy's brief reign as Havant & Waterlooville manager went from bad to worse with a 2-0 DML Premier Division defeat at Weston-super-Mare. They fell behind to a harshly-awarded penalty given against new signing Jim Rodwell, had a strong penalty claim of their own turned down and then conceded again.
"We're just not getting the rub of the green," said Leworthy. "We got muscled out of the game a bit tonight and I need people who will battle to get results.
"I'm not going to get down-hearted - anyone who knows me knows I'm up for a challenge."
The Hawks have turned down an offer from table-topping Weymouth for their ex-Brighton midfielder Shaun Wilkinson.
Meanwhile former H&W co-manager Mick Jenkins has joined Weymouth's coaching staff.
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