Barely a day goes past when Eastleigh fans don't bemoan the summer departure of Paul Sales. And who can blame them?

The 31-year-old marksman showed exactly what they were missing on Saturday with another virtuoso performance that had Salisbury City's player-manager Tommy Widdrington drooling after a 3-0 home win over Grantham Town.

Sales paved the way for victory with two goals in the space of three minutes leading up to half-time as City stretched their lead at the top of Southern Premier Division to five points.

With 43 minutes gone, Grantham - who had conceded just one goal on their league travels this season - gifted Sales a chance when goalkeeper Mario Ziccardi totally misjudged the flight of Craig Davis's cross and Sales nipped in behind to crane his neck to head the ball into an empty net. Then, as the half ticked into stoppage time, Sales scrambled home a Chris Ferrett corner with Grantham adamant that defender Tim Wooding had been impeded amidst the bedlam in the visitors' six-yard box.

"You could almost say Paul's got two scrappyish goals today but then he could have had double what he scored," said former Saints midfielder Widdrington.

"Paul's the best striker in the old-fashioned sense that I've seen in this division. He's got an uncanny knack of knowing what's around him.

"For someone who's not the tallest guy, he hangs so well in the air, but it's not just his aerial game that makes him such a good player, he's got a deft touch too."

After scoring the goal that booked Eastleigh their passage into the Conference South last May, Sales left the Sparshatts Stadium during the summer to rejoin old club Salisbury, where he had been a hero during Geoff Butler's time in charge.

His frontline partnership with Matty Tubbs has already yielded 18 league and cup goals this season - a statistic that has had league scouts buzzing around Old Sarum.

At 31, Sales's chance of a league breakthrough has long since passed him by, but Swansea City were said to be watching former Bolton trainee Tubbs on Saturday - and the youngster impressed with a delectable third for Salisbury in the 53rd minute.

He outfoxed Grantham defender Steve Julian on the left of the area before launching a superb right-foot shot into the far, top corner - his 11th goal of a so-far stunning season.

"Tubbsy's quality. He's got everything," said Sales, after picking up the man-of-the-match champagne. "He could definitely play at a higher level. He's a real live wire and probably the best frontline partner I've ever had playing off me. Some of the goals he's scored have been unbelievable.

"Coming back to Salisbury has been a good move for me," Sales added. "I'm really enjoying it."

With a lively breeze favouring Grantham in the first half, there were a few uncomfortable moments for Salisbury - most notably a free kick just outside the area which Wooding steered low towards the far, bottom corner before goalkeeper Kevin Sawyer smothered and the ball was hacked to safety.

But, even during their good spells, Grantham could never shake off the threat of Sales at the other end as he headed a couple over, sent an overhead kick just past the far post and volleyed another effort wide.

Save for one Adam Sturgess shot that flashed across the face of goal, there was no way back for Grantham in the second half.

As Sales tired, it was the energetic Tubbs who caught the eye and it took a smart save by Ziccardi to deny him in a 79th-minute one-one-one.

Widdrington summed up: "Conditions were difficult because of the wind, but it was a professional performance by us. Everything we ask of the lads they're answering with flying colours and long may it continue.

"Ourselves and Grantham were the two form teams of the league. They were on top possession-wise early in the game, but the lads at the back were tremendous. Once we had seen off the threat posed by the wind, I was always confident we'd do the same to them in the second half, but then Paul came up with those two goals just before half-time."