Eastleigh boss Paul Doswell reckons poor pitches are ruining his enjoyment of the Dr Martens Eastern Division.

Having led his side to the Wessex championship last season, Doswell had great expectations of how life would be at a higher level but, after stumbling to a 1-0 defeat on an atrocious surface at Sittingbourne on Saturday, he admitted: "I'm disappointed in this league. The officials are no better than in the Wessex, the crowds are not much better and some of the pitches are worse.

"I had three players turn their ankles at Sittingbourne. It was like a dust crater with rabbit holes all over it. Even their supporters were joking about it and asked us if we'd brought our pitch forks.

"We tried to prepare ourselves professionally by travelling on a nice coach and so on, but we're a passing side and these surfaces are a great leveller. Even Maradona couldn't play on a pitch like that.

"We missed six or seven clear-cut chances but I can't come down too hard on my players because a lot of that was where the ball was bouncing and bobbling. Sittingbourne are a poor side, but a pitch like that evens things up.

"We never have a problem at home because the Ten Acres surface is perfect and I can guarantee that, when Sittingbourne come to us, we will win convincingly."

To add to Eastleigh's misery, Paul Sales, who had an effort cleared off the line after six minutes, limped off at half-time with a serious-looking groin problem which is certain to keep him out of Wednesday's (7.45) visit from his old club Bashley.

He joins a growing injury list that kept Chris Collins, Danny Woods, Phil Warner and Tyronne Bowers (flu) out of Saturday's game, while David Hughes only made a brief appearance off the bench.

In their absence, 16-year-old central midfielder Adam Lowther and 19-year-old frontman Dave Greening made their full debuts.

Sittingbourne grabbed an 88th-minute winner when a defensive error let in Bradley Spice.

The result dropped Eastleigh to fifth, but Doswell insisted: "No one's confidence is dented and we're still striving to stay in the top six."

Newport climbed to eighth with a 3-1 home win over struggling Erith & Belvedere, but manager Steve Tate was still brooding about tame midweek FA Cup exit at Harrow Borough.

While struggling on their travels, the Islanders have yet to be beaten at St George's Park and Tate said: "Saturday's result doesn't prove anything. I already knew we could win at home. Don't get me wrong, I'm delighted we won and it's great to have taken 16 points out of eight league games, but away from home we should be capable of so much more. I gave them a rollocking before Saturday's game and told them a few home truths."

Ashley Wright, looking blatantly offside, fired Port ahead on the half-hour and his strike partner, Jamie O'Rourke, did the rest. With 35 minutes gone, the lanky Islander volleyed home after chesting down Glenn Howes' floating delivery and, on 72 minutes, he headed home Lee Chudy's superb cross.

Although the result plonked Erith to the bottom of the Eastern Division pile, Tate was impressed by their front pair of Akpol Sodje - the league's top scorer - and Darren Adams. It was a combination of the two that briefly pulled the visitors back into contention at 2-1 when Sodje set up Adams to finish from close range.

Newport tomorrow (7.45) visit third-to-bottom Fleet Town, who crashed 3-0 at Burgess Hill on Saturday after falling behind in the very first minute - Nicky Sullivan (2) and Steve Harper the scorers.

After their great FA success at Havant, Salisbury continued their purple patch with a 3-0 win at Dartford with their travelling supporters having seen them find the net a dozen times in the last three games, but manager Nick Holmes was still not over impressed.

"We haven't played particularly well in the last three games and the performances have been patchy," he said. "Today we did ok in the first half but not so well in the second, although we still had chances to score more. We had three out suspended and some injury problems."

Salisbury started well enough, taking an eighth-minute lead through new signing Matt Tubbs, and after a shaky four-minute spell when Dartford could well have got back on terms, went on to double their advantage with Aaron Turner's first league goal in a Salisbury shirt on 29 minutes.

After the interval a combination of Dartford tightening up defensively and Whites taking their foot off the gas made for a closer contest but Darren Crook, on for Turner, made it safe with a third goal on 78 minutes - a brilliant chip leaving home 'keeper Jimmy Simpson stranded.

Salisbury 'keeper Kevin Sawyer did well to deny Tostao Kwashi and Martin Buglione in the last minutes but Holmes had praise for supersub Crook.

"As a player I certainly would not like to face Crookie the way he is playing at the moment," said Holmes. "He's come off the bench late in the last three games and scored on each occasion."