Buoyant Bashley boss Barry Blankley paid tribute to his players' character following their incredible 8-0 whipping of Wisbech last night.

After the blow of losing co-manager Pete Moore, the one-time basement boys have bounced back with two home wins to edge into the top half of the Dr Martens Eastern Division for the first time this season.

It took Craig Davis 31 minutes to unlock the Wisbech defence and Paul Sales made it 2-0 six minutes later.

But in the second half the floodgates were forced wide open with Sales adding a further hat-trick and Davis, Andy Culliford and Stuart Hussey bagging one apiece.

"You get those days when everything clicks - and this was one of them," smiled Blankley.

"Wisbech weren't the worst team we've played by far, but I told the boys to get good balls in from wide positions and four of the goals were headers from crosses.

"We were superb tonight in attitude, commitment, playing ability, the lot."

Salisbury's Taffy Richardson was another happy man after Whites' 3-1 Premier Division victory at Cambridge City.

So happy, in fact, that the player-manager has signed a contract that will keep him at Old Sarum next season.

By then Salisbury will surely have slipped into the Eastern Division, but the basement boys are not going down without a fight.

Two headers from Tyronne Bowers corners - one by Ryan King (27 mins) and one by Richardon (68 mins) - put Salisbury in the driving seat before Darren Crook added an 85th-minute stooping header following some wizardry by King.

Cambridge's sole consolation was Tim Wooding's stoppage-time free kick.

Aldershot Town will meet Havant & Waterlooville in the Hampshire Senior Cup final at St Mary's on May 1 after their 2-0 second-leg win at Newport last night.

Jason Chewins struck inside 45 seconds to put the Shots 3-0 up on aggregate and Adam Barsdell did the Islanders no favours by getting sent off for violent conduct in the 29th minute.

Adam Parker pushed the Ryman Leaguers further ahead on 53 minutes and, but for more heroics from Newport keeper Colin Matthews, the damage would have been far greater.

Havant & Waterlooville will not feature in the Russell Cotes Cup final.

Their reserves were turned over 3-0 by Wessex outfit Bournemouth Poppies at Westleigh Park.

James Antell opened Poppies' account on 44 minutes following a poor kick by keeper Steve May, Paul Honeybun added a 53rd-minute penalty and Micky Dunn struck a late third.