MORE THAN 1,300 people packed the Ray Mac on Easter Monday to watch Salisbury maintain their play-off charge.

The Whites beat Basingstoke 2-1 in a win that came off the back of a 3-3 draw away at Swindon Supermarine on Good Friday.

Four points from two games means Salisbury are third in the table, level on points with Gosport Borough in second.

Chesham United were crowned champions after beating Harrow Borough on Monday.

Ryan Penny, Noah Coppin and Joshua Hedges were on the scoresheet in Swindon, on a what manager Brian Dutton described as a "heavy pitch" - with the game almost called off just beforehand, and Coppin grabbed both goals in the win over Basingstoke, with one from the penalty spot.

Dutton praised his side's performances in both games but said some aspects of play against Supermarine were "really poor, and cost us".

Having been coy about his side's promotion chances all season, Dutton has now admitted that his thoughts do now turn to the play-offs.

"Given where we were last season, I think we are about 12 months ahead of where I thought we would be, so I am so proud of the players.

"It is us, Totton and Gosport in a race for second now and we will do all we can."

Dutton, who told the Journal his side have set a new club record for most points won at home in a season, with 46, also praised the bumper Ray Mac crowd on Monday: "It was one of my main aims when I became manager - to get the Ray Mac thriving, and we have done that, especially in the big games".

After beating who Dutton called the most in-form team in the league in Basingstoke, with 24 hours less recovery time, Salisbury now face champions Chesham United on the road on Saturday afternoon.

Dutton told Salisbury FC's in-house media team that the Whites will give the Southern League Premier South Division Champions a guard of honour before the match.

Should Salisbury make the play-off semi finals, those fixtures will take place the week of May 1, with the final on Monday, May 6.