“WE need to get a forward and I think everybody knows that” says Steve Claridge.

The Whites are currently fifth in the table and have scored 27 goals so far in the league, but Claridge has said his side are making poor decisions when dominating games and are not taking their chances.

Salisbury lost two strikers who scored 93 goals between them last season in Tommy Wright and Justin Bennett and have yet to replace them.

Kane O’Keefe and Marvin Brooks have both started the season well, scoring eight goals each, but neither player is and out-and-out goalscorer.

And boss Steve Claridge has been actively trying all season but failing to bring a striker to the club. He said: “Its not like we’re not trying. We’ve been trying, we’ve been trying all season and we know what we’ve got to address.

“We’ve lost two forwards in the summer and ever since then we’ve been playing catch up and it’s been very very difficult.

“We’ve tried every week and gone in for someone and every week we’ve either been knocked back or they’ve been injured or told there not coming.

“We’ve gone in for eight forwards and not one of them have we made any headway with.”

He added: “We tried with [Scott] Twine and we missed out on him.

“We’ve been trying all season, but we can’t manufacture something that isn’t there.

“Everyone seems to be under contract and nobody wants to seem to want to let their players go.”

Claridge did say that the club has put in an approach for a player and is awaiting the outcome.

These comments came off the back of Salisbury’s 3-2 loss to Paulton Rovers in the FA Trophy on Saturday, where the Whites created plenty of chances but were unable to convert them into goals.