YEOVIL Town manager Darren Way heaped praise on Salisbury's work ethic during Tuesday night's pre-season friendly.

Way paid compliment to Steve Claridge's young guns after the Glovers ran out 3-2 victors at the Ray Mac.

He said he was impressed with the Whites' hunger to compete in a well-contested warm-up match, with both sides kick-starting their respective campaigns a week on Saturday.

"It's always a difficult place to come. It was a nice pitch and they played direct football, which is what we expected, and is the closest thing we are going to get to League Two football because we are off the back of playing Swansea and Tottenham," he told JournalSport.

"We were certainly tested and it's always nice to bring a team down here. They are very welcoming. It was a good workout for us."

"They've got a lot of players who can prove they can play League Football and we expected that.

"I don't really know the competition Salisbury will face but what you could see is Steve has got them well organised and good balance in the team and some young, hungry players in the team that look like they want to win.

"Steve has done well to get the club back from where it was. It was finished at one stage and they've done well to come back."

Way, 36, visited Old Sarum last season where he watched the re-formed Whites play one of their first games. The opposition that night were Premier League side AFC Bournemouth which Salisbury beat 2-1.

Harry Cornick, who scored Cherries' goal, was the reason of Way and his assistant manager Terry Skiverton's visit as they were keen to sign the striker.

And Way, who was charged to get in with Skiverton, said it was money well spent.

"Last year I came down here I had to pay to get in but that was money well spent as we got Harry Cornick out of it," he added.

"We got a good player there and we even gave donations as well."

The friendly was set up by vice-chairman Ian Ridley, who has known Skiverton for the best part of 20 years. They used to work together on Sky One drama series Dream Team in which Ridley was a writer for the show and Skiverton helped coach the actors.

nWhites continue their pre-season programme tonight at Laverstock and Ford (7.45pm) before hosting Southern Premier outfit Cirencester Town on Saturday (3pm).