FOOTBALL: AFTER an insipid first half display it needed an inspired half-time team talk from manager Nick Holmes to remind his Salisbury City side it was they who were chasing promotion not their mid-table opponents Chatham, writes Mike Turner.

Woeful finishing in front of goal had caused some consternation among the Whites contingent of a bumper crowd of 539 at the Raymond McEnhill Stadium.

Tyronne Bowers, who later limped off with a calf injury, failed to divert the ball home on three minutes after some neat build up play down the left.

Stuart Brown then hit the bar four minutes later following up Gary Funnell's blocked free kick.

The City striker was again denied by the woodwork just before the break when he placed the ball wide of Chatham's 'keeper Kevin Fewell, but then saw it rebound off the inside of the far post.

Holmes would not divulge what was said in the dressing room during the break, but told Journal Sport: "What was said was listened to. Maybe they didn't think they had to compete in the first half and that it would all just come to them.

"They put themselves about more in the second half and we got the result we wanted. What they have to realise is that every game is going to be a battle. Chatham looked a totally different team to the one we beat at their place.

"They'd beaten Bashley in midweek and that probably gave them the confidence to come here and play a bit."

Holmes added: "We struggled in the first half, but the results are all that matter now. If we keep on winning we will go up."

Within 60 seconds of the restart City were in front when Brown reacted first to a fumble by Few-ell and headed into an empty net.

The goal restored calm both on the terraces and on the pitch and a Wayne Turk wonder strike on 71 minutes ensured Whites indeed wrapped up their 13th home win of the campaign.

Good work by Matt Davies resulted in the ball spinning out towards Turk whose spectacular first time hook shot caught Fewell unawares.

"I saw Matt knock it my way and thought I'd just hit it.

"When I looked up I thought "the keeper's not going to get it." I was pleased with it."

Turk echoed his manager's comments about their display in the opening 45 minutes: "I thought they were the better team in the first half, but the early goal after the break settled us down."

Asked if he and the other City players were anxious about the expectations of the Whites faithful, he added: "You can sense the crowd's frustration. We've had a few chances in the first half and maybe if one of them had gone in it would have been different.

"But we're all pretty relaxed. We just want to play football and go out and try and win every game now."