A DEADLY midfield trio went on a goal-spree as Salisbury Hockey Club Men’s firsts swept aside a lacklustre Southampton seconds with a 6-1 victory.

A hat-trick from Tom Morton, Rory MacTaggart’s brace and a goal from Jagjit Marwaha - a newly-formed combination in the middle - ensured the Lower Bemerton outfit kept up their title chase in Hampshire 1.

With four games to go, they are a single point off leaders Gillingham, who have two games in hand.

The visitors started ruthlessly and they got their reward five minutes into the match.

Morton fed MacTaggart who jinked his way past the defensive line before sending a reverse stick shot high into the net.

Moments later, good work from Akram Ghauri and Will Alvis resulted in Salisbury winning a penalty corner, and MacTaggart

returned the favour to play through Morton who scored from a well-worked routine.

Marwaha rounded off an explosive start to the game, scoring with a delightful reverse stick lob on the 20th minute.

After the break, Morton finished some off a fine team move for a fourth to put the game to bed.

Morton then completed his hat-trick with a deflected strike from the top of the D.

Southampton clawed one back through a penalty stroke, before MacTaggart converted another short corner with a well-timed drag flick.

Skipper Andy Renshaw told JournalSport: “That was the type of performance we need to be putting in every week.

“We are still in the hunt for the title, but it’s out of our hands.”

Salisbury face rock-bottom US Portsmouth on Saturday.