SALISBURY Ladies Hockey firsts boosted their promotion bid with a routine 3-0 victory over basement-bound Marlborough.

Second half strikes from Josie Steinson, Lily Jackson and Suzie Hockley secured the win which cemented third place in West Clubs Women's Premier Division 2A.

Marlborough, fighting to retain their 2A status, gave a dogged display first half and made life difficult for the hosts, testing keeper Alana Mercer on a series of occasions.

Captain Kerry Jackson tweaked the formation at half time, which soon paid dividends.

The structured set-up allowed the Lower Bemerton outfit to land the opening goal, Steinson firing into the net.

It wasn't long before a second followed, and Jackson, in her first season for the club, thumped home Anika Drage's reverse stick shot across the D.

The visitors attempted to claw one back but, despite spells of pressure, Salisbury put the game to bed from a short corner. Hockley's first attempt from Steinson was blocked before hammering home the rebound hard into the left hand corner.

In other results, the seconds lost 2-1 at Mendip, the thirds were hammered 6-1 at home to North Wilts, fourths went down 2-0 at Bournemouth, while the fifths romped to a 4-0 victory over Swanage and Wareham.

In men's hockey, Salisbury firsts' six-match winning streak came to an end after a woeful day at Weymouth, which ended in a 5-3 defeat.

Martin Clark pulled Salisbury level before two quickfire goals sent the seaside club into a 3-1 lead.

Dan Vodden halved the deficit before the break but a nightmare start to the second half saw the visitors concede a further two goals.

Dom Welman converted a short corner to spark a revival but Salisbury couldn't convert anymore goals as they suffered a rare defeat.

Captain Andy Renshaw said: "We didn't perform anywhere near the level we have been recently, but we still created enough to have taken something from the game."