WITH a match-free week leading up to tomorrow's FA Cup third qualifying round trip to Merthyr Tydfil, the chances are that Salisbury City's Paul Sales spent last night with his feet up in the jacuzzi.

Instead of flogging the 31-year-old striker twice a week on the training ground, Whites wrap him in cotton wool on a Thursday to ensure they get the best out of him when Saturday comes around.

The best, in Sales's case, was more like 'out of this world' last week when he struck twice for the Southern Premier leaders in a 3-0 home win over third-placed Grantham.

For a player whose middle name is 'Mercurial', they weren't two of his more flamboyant finishes, but for sheer frontline presence and aerial power he was in a league of his own.

Modestly playing down his man-of-the-match award, Southampton-based Sales said: "I've had to change my game a bit because I can't run any more, but the team play to my strengths.

"They hit the ball in high to me and Tubbsy (Matt Tubbs) is quality playing off me. The days of me running in the channels are long gone - not that I ever really did anyway!"

After years troubled by his groins, Sales underwent a summer knee operation, which is one reason why Salisbury are not clamping down on his training routine.

"If we haven't got a midweek game we do proper running on a Tuesday night. I have to try and do it, but I'm always at the back!" laughed Sales. "On Thursdays I'm usually in the jacuzzi, but if I trained again I wouldn't be right for Saturdays."

Salisbury's player-coach Tommy Widdrington wasn't surprised to hear Sales's modest assessment of his form.

"When he came off at Chesham the other night he said he'd been rubbish and yet he'd been involved in three of the goals!" the ex-Saint smiled. "No one's expecting Paul to run 60 yards into the corners, but it's not all played long and in the air to him. There's more to his game than that. His strike rate is probably one in two at this level, which proves he's one of the best around."

Scott Bartlett is back in the reckoning tomorrow after a three-match suspension, but Shaun Hale's comeback plans have been sunk by the discovery of a hairline leg fracture.