Fit-again Salisbury City striker Paul Sales took just 12 minutes to stamp his class on the play-off battle last night.

After a nine-game absence with a broken hand, the Southampton-based marksman scored one goal and made another in a 3-0 home win over Fisher, which keeps the Whites second with just three games remaining.

Northampton loan winger Jerome Watt had his best game in a Salisbury shirt and it was his 12th-minute cross that set Sales up for a towering header which was parried straight back at him by keeper Paul Nicholls before he blasted home.

Then on 21 minutes, Sales touched on a Scott Barlett throw for his strike partner Matt Tubbs to expertly bury Salisbury's second - his 19th league goal of the term.

Sales was replaced by the fresh legs of Robbie Matthews for the closing stages, but it was Fisher who obliged with Salisbury's third on 79 minutes.

Tubbs whipped in a low cross and, in trying to clear it, Steve Clarke succeeded only in finding his own net.

Contented Salisbury boss Nick Holmes summed up: "We finally got back to our tried and trusted formula with Paul playing for an hour and Robbie for half an hour and we got the old result.

"Paul looked a bit tireder than usual when he came off, but he gave us the class we needed."

Braintree Town are up to third, two points behind Salisbury, thanks to a 3-0 victory at Eastleigh.

The best the off-colour Spitfires could muster was an Andy Forbes shot which was pushed round the post by keeper Nick Morgan when they were one down.

After a solid run of seven home games unbeaten, Eastleigh's performance was a massive let-down for manager Jason Dodd.

He said: "Braintree were half-decent, but the best way I could describe our performance is weak'."

For full story see today's Daily Echo.