Salisbury’s Robbie Matthews picked up a goal and the Man of the Match award on his return to the club in a comfortable 3 – 0 win over Eastbourne Borough on Saturday. The win puts Salisbury into 6th place with 18 points after failing to win in 3 games.

Both sides started slowly with Salisbury constantly sending long balls up to Matthews, who got his head on everything and with his partner, Dan Fitchett, sniffing around for any knock downs or flick-ons things looked promising but Salisbury just couldn’t convert their chances into goals.

Salisbury were convincing and solid at the back but that period of solidity looked like it might end when Callum Hart was injured and stretchered off. But in fact that had no bad effect despite the resulting reshuffle.  Dan Fitchett moved to left midfield and that move proved fruitful as he rifled in a low volley from 15 yards after the clearance from Adam Kelly’s freekick fell perfectly for him.

Salisbury dominated the first half but relied too heavily upon Robbie Matthews’ head and played too many long balls, not letting their flair players effect the game enough.

The second half started at a higher tempo and the Whites were rewarded when Jake Reid latched onto a good ball by Ben Adlesbury, (who had a very good game in midfield) ran into the box and had a shot across goal palmed into the path of Robbie Matthews who shovelled it into an empty net much to the crowd’s delight as chants of “Mooncat” rang out.

Salisbury put on a good show for the disappointing 667 people who did come, playing with the ball on floor much more than in the first half. Robbie Matthews had to come off after 70 minutes as he had picked up a bit of cramp, but that didn’t faze the Whites one bit as Ryan Brett headed into an open goal after Ollie Rowe’s attempted headed clearance ended up lobbing his
own keeper.

Robbie Matthews’ great day was rounded off with the man of the match award  as Salisbury recorded another convincing and deserved win.

Report written by Robert Allen, 11