STEVE Strong spared Salisbury's blushes on Monday with a 90th minute equaliser to earn his side a point against lowly Newport IoW.

It was a case of after the Lord Mayor's Show for the Whites who were still reeling from the injury time goal 48 hours earlier against leaders Tonbridge which had put paid to their own title ambitions.

Danny Hatcher put the Islanders into a shock lead six minutes from time before Strong netted to secure the point that confirmed his side's promotion to the Premier Division.

Manager Nick Holmes said: "We weren't at our best. The after-effects of Saturday's result were still in evidence, but we can't use that as an excuse.

"If we'd have won on Saturday as we thought we had deserved to, I'm sure we'd have carried the confidence with us into the Newport game. The mental side of things would have been easier.

"But we still should have won. Newport didn't create much all game and I think their goal was the first time they'd had a shot on target all match."