SALISBURY FC tried twice to play their FA Trophy first round tie with Braintree over the past week and the weather beat them both Saturday afternoon and Tuesday night.

The game against the National League side will now take place on Tuesday, January 8 at the Ray Mac.

The winners of the tie will then face a trip to Isthmian League Premier Division side Carshalton Athletic in round two, which is scheduled for Saturday, January 12.

Thoughts of that will be put on the backburner as the Whites return to league action and the focus of staying in the promotion shake-up.

First up on Saturday is a visit from last season’s Southern League Division One East champions Beaconsfield.

They have already played the Whites on the opening weekend of the campaign and honours were even as it finished 2-2.

Luke Hopper and Lewis Benson were the men on target that afternoon for the Whites and they will hope they can help their side to three points this weekend.

Beaconsfield lost on Saturday in the FA Trophy beaten 4-0 by National League leaders Leyton Orient and then on Tuesday night also lost at Harrow 2-1.

The defeat left them eighth in the table which is five places below the Whites and the Buckinghamshire side are also six points behind them.

On Boxing Day, Salisbury are on their travels to Swindon Supermarine, who have suddenly hit a nice run of form, winning four of their last five league games.

On Saturday, they hammered Basingstoke Town 5-2 and then on Tuesday night, the Wiltshire side enjoyed a 3-0 win at Dorchester, which has shot them up the table to 13th.

When the sides met back in August at the Ray Mac, the game ended 2-2 with Dan Fitchett and Danny Young scoring.

Then a week on Saturday, they face a tricky trip to Poole, who are ninth in the table .

Looking ahead to the next few games, Salisbury manager Steve Claridge said: "We have a really tough festive period coming up against some very good teams.

"Beaconsfield are looking to get themselves into the play-offs.

"I always though Swindon Supermarine would start picking up points and they are proving that now.

"Poole are one of the big clubs at this level, so we have three hard games coming up."

However as Salisbury enter the Christmas period Claridge is very pleased to see his side third in the table and said: "We have something to play for in every game and this is full credit to the players for making this possible."