HAVANT & WATERLOOVILLE produced one of their best performances of the season by holding Dr Martens Premier Division high flyers Grantham Town 1-1 on their own patch on Saturday.
Hawks manager Mick Jenkins said: "Grantham could have gone second if they had won the game and I thought if anything we deserved the three points. It sets us up nicely for our big FA Cup tie against George Borg's Billericay Town next Saturday."
Paul Wood was unlucky after only two minutes when Chris Ferrett fired in a cross which Wood forced past 'keeper Mario Ziccardo - only for the referee to disallow it for a foul on the 'keeper.
On the half hour, the Hawks did take the lead when James Taylor powered home a header from a Bobby Howe corner and the Bitterne-based striker nearly made it two moments later but he lifted the chance over the bar.
Grantham's equaliser came on 61 minutes. Ziccardi's long clearance was flicked on for Crewe Alexandra-bound Jamie Clarke. who outpaced the defence and scored easily past Kerr.
After watching his side's solid 2-0 win over Tonbridge Angels, a delighted Salisbury City manager Nick Holmes said: "I hope that everyone who came along here today can see that we are heading in the right direction.
"Tonbridge were a big, strong side but they also played some good football - they were our toughest test so far but everyone in my side did exactly what was asked of them and we won it quite comfortably. When we play like that we can beat anybody," added the former Saint.
The Whites took a 25th-minute lead from a blistering Gary Funnell free-kick after Tonbridge goalkeeper Allan Lewis had surprisingly survived with only a yellow card when he handled the ball outside the box.
Some entertaining, flowing football saw Whites produce a second goal five minutes before the break when Scott Bartlett engineered some space on the right to whisk in an inviting cross for Stuart Brown to glance a near post header across the Tonbridge 'keeper and into the far corner of the net.
Tonbridge improved in the second-half but could make little impression on a resolute home side who maintained their 100 per cent league record at the Raymond McEnhill Stadium.
Bashley's short reign at the head of the Dr Martens League Eastern Division table ended when Craig McIlwain's late equaliser earned unbeaten Rothwell Town a point in a 1-1 draw at the Recreation Ground.
Barry Blankley's table-toppers slipped back to fourth after McIlwain took advantage of a scramble in the Bashley area following a corner by bundling the ball over the line five minutes from time to cancel out a Craig Davis opener.
Bashley had started the second half strongly and were finally rewarded after an hour when the tireless Davis netted his third spot-kick of the season, and his second in his successive games, following a push on Craig Anstey.
Boss Blankley said: "A draw was probably a fair result in the end. But the disappointing thing was conceding a goal so late on when three points would have seen us start to build a gap between ourselves and everyone else at the top."
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