CHAMPIONS-ELECT Salisbury FC have one hand on the Sydenhams Wessex Premier trophy after a convincing 2-0 win at Hamworthy United on Tuesday night edged them closer to glory.

Goals in each half from in-form Claudio Herbert and Taurean Roberts mean Whites can lift the title tomorrow night if they gain at least a point at home to Horndean.

And if it is done and dusted under the Ray Mac lights, the championship would have been sealed with six games spare.

They are currently on 89 points - the maximum second-placed Blackfield and Langley can finish on if they win their remaining half-a-dozen games.

The visitors' threadbare squad, missing eight regular players, didn't show as they made an energetic start at the County Ground despite it being fairly stop-start.

Adam Kelly toppled the crossbar with a close-range header before going through one-on-one with Gerard Benfield but fluffing his effort.

Nathan Ball was mostly a spectator in the opening 45 minutes until the half hour mark when he was at full-stretch to Stefan Penny's free kick that was flicked goalwards.

Moments later, Whites raced down the opposite end and bagged the opener.

A typical longfield pass from midfield maestro Tom Whelan picked out Herbert on the right, who took a touch before rifling a strike in off the post.

The one-goal cushion at the break gave Whites some breathing space but Hamworthy cane out pumped in the second half.

A five-minute spell saw them heap pressure on the Salisbury goal as Ben Satterley and Asa Phillips both sent efforts towards Ball and then a floating cross looked to strike the arm of George Colson but no penalty was awarded.

But that was as good as it got for the hosts - s the hour mark past Whites found their momentum from the first half.

A delicious Colson free kick cannoned off the woodwork before the second arrived.

Taurean Roberts profited from Benfield's clumsy handling on his cross as the ball slipped through his fingers and tipped into the net.

However, the keeper redeemed himself late on with a fine double save.

Wilson stepped up from the spot, after Whelan was tripped, and his effort was pushed away from Benfield, who was on hand to deny the on-rushing Charlie Blake, looking for his first ever Salisbury goal, from blasting home the re-bound.

Salisbury: Ball, Colson, Walker, Wheeler (c), Perrett, Kelly, Whelan, S Roberts, Herbert, T Roberts (Blake, 61), Wilson.

Subs not used: Demkiv, Jarvis, White, Barfoot.