Whites aim for top ten

9:14am Friday 25th April 2008

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SALISBURY City can still secure a top-ten finish from their first season in the highest echelon of non-League football.

A victory against York City tomorrow could achieve that target depending on other results involving Oxford United, Kidderminster and Grays.

Regardless of the outcome of their final game against the Minstermen, however, Salisbury will look back on a satisyfing season having reached the Blue Square Premier following back-to-back promotions from the Conference South and the Southern League.

Striker Matt Tubbs, who scored the winning goal against Braintree Town in last season's Conference South play-off final, has also made an impressive transition from part-time to full-time football and will be the home side's biggest threat tomorrow.

Tubbs, 23, was signed from Dorchester Town in 2003 and recently became only the seventh Salisbury player to score 100 goals for the club.

The England C' international - shown the door by Bournemouth and Bolton as a youngster - has netted 17 goals despite only starting 36 games. He was on target when the Wiltshire club won 3-1 at KitKat Crescent in November - a result that cost Billy McEwan his job as City manager.

But it has been Salisbury's form at their 3,500-capacity Raymond McEnhill Stadium, named after a former chairman, that has been their campaign cornerstone.

Prior to a 2-0 reverse against Cambridge on Saturday, the Whites, bossed by Southampton's 1976 FA Cup-winning midfielder Nick Holmes since 2002, had been unbeaten in 11 home matches since Christmas, winning six and drawing five.

Among their scalps during that period were play-off qualifiers Burton (2-0) and Exeter (2-0), as well as long-time promotion hopefuls Stevenage (1-0).

Cambridge, Aldershot, Kidderminster and Grays have taken maximum points in league encounters at Salisbury but only top-five clubs Exeter (one), Aldershot (three) and Cambridge (three) have lost fewer games in front of their own fans.

Salisbury's recent form has been patchy, however, with a 1-1 draw at Grays on Tuesday night preceded by back-to-back defeats against Cambridge and at Altrincham (3-1).

Midfielder Michael Fowler will miss tomorrow's match through suspension after being shown his second red card of the season against Cambridge but defender Scott Bartlett could return after a calf injury.

Match facts

This is City's first visit to Salisbury.

It happened on April 26:

1952: Billy Fenton became the first City player to score 30 Football League goals in a season when he netted in a 1-1 draw at Wrexham. City were in the top half of Division Three North.

1958: A 0-0 draw at home to Stockport County, in front of 8,005, resulted in City finishing in the bottom half of the Northern Section and consequently becoming founder members of Division Four.

1961: City crashed 6-1 at Aldershot and were fifth in the Fourth Division.

1975: A crowd of 10,101 at Bootham Crescent saw a 0-0 draw against Oldham Athletic and City finished their first season in Division Two (Championship) in 15th position.

1986: Dale Banton, Simon Mills and Steve Senior scored in 3-3 draw at Brentford and City were in the top half of Division Three (League One).

1997: A 2-0 win at Rotherham United saved City from relegation from Division Two (League One). Rodney Rowe and Neil Tolson were the marksmen.

Compiled by David Batters