SALISBURY prepared for the play-offs in the worst possible fashion with an embarrassing home defeat to Harrow Borough.

THE Whites could have secured a home draw with a win, but will now play their semi-final away to Metropolitan Police after losing 6-0 at the Ray Mac, by far their heaviest defeat and with it the worst performance of the season.

The first half was tight, with Salisbury producing two of the misses of the season through Herbert and Fitchett preventing the home side from taking the lead.

Just after the half-hour mark George Moore scored his first of the day, with Keita playing him through and the midfielder converting with ease.

With the clock approaching 60 minutes, Salisbury were still in the game, and still producing half chances to equalise.

Then came a pathetic collapse from Salisbury, supposedly the only team in this fixture who had anything to play for. Harrow’s second of the match came from a mistake from Hallett. The keeper came charging out of his area to clear a ball, but did not succeed.

The ball went straight to a Harrow player, who played it back into the box, and number nine Moss headed the ball over the defenders and into an empty net, for the first of his hat trick.

The remaining half an hour of the game saw Salisbury constantly committing men forward trying to get back into the game and getting caught on the break.

Moore got his second to make it 3-0 before Salisbury made a change, with Wheeler coming on for Herbert, and Moss grabbed his second in the 75th minute to make it 4-0 before an attacking change was made – Sparkes on for Whelan in the 81st minute.

George Moore clinched his hat trick when he was allowed to stand unmarked on the edge of the box when Harrow had a corner. He collected the ball and had all the time in the world to set himself and pick his spot, curling the ball perfectly over a helpless Hallett.

Chants of “We want six!” came from the few Harrow fans who made the trip from north-west London, and Elliot Wheeler gifted it to them, slipping while in possession in his own half. Keita capitalised, squaring it for Moss, who also finished with a hat trick.

Salisbury’s semi-final is at 7:45pm on Wednesday, May 1, at the Imber Court Stadium.