CHIEF Steve Claridge has rubbished comments made by counterpart Dave Diaper that Salisbury FC will win the league because of their rich resources.

The Sholing FC manager spoke in the wake of his high-flying side holding the Sydenhams Wessex Premier Division pacemakers to an entertaining 1-1 draw on Saturday.

Kane O’Keefe had given Whites the lead, only to be cancelled out by Dan Mason’s strike deep into first half stoppage time.

Diaper told the Journal’s sister paper the Southern Daily Echo: “Salisbury will be champions because they’ve got the resources to make any changes they need to go and win it.”

Reacting to those comments, Claridge, who has watched the Whites win six of their opening nine league matches, said “we are the only club who do it properly”.

“I bet their budget is bigger than ours. They should know better,” he told JournalSport.

“If we win the league, it will be down to hard work – no one’s bought this league.

“At this stage, there’s things being said that aren’t true.

“People can think what they want but we’re the only club in this league who do it properly.”

It’s not the first time Whites have been subjected to criticism since being re-formed but it hasn’t affected their results on the pitch, racking up an impressive set of wins at the start of the 2015-16 campaign.

They currently sit top of the league with 20 points, two above Andover Town and the Boatmen after netting 28 league goals - 36 in all competitions.

They look to stretch their unbeaten record to six weeks when 11th-placed Cowes Sports visit the Ray Mac on Saturday (3pm) before hosting Folland Sports in the FA Vase on Saturday, October 3.