A WEEK of mixed fortunes has left Salisbury City at the wrong end of the Ryman Premier Divi-sion table, but still in the FA Cup, writes Mike Turner.

After being held to a draw at the Raymond Mc-Enhill Stadium, Whites saw off the challenge of Frome Town in Thursday night's replay to earn a Third Qualifying Round trip to Weston Super Mare.

A comfortable 3-0 victory against the Screwfix Western League outfit was largely due to an explosive opening 15 minutes in which Leigh Phillips and Matt Tubbs put City in a commanding position.

Whites allowed Frome few goalscoring chances, but many of the travelling Salisbury fans in the crowd of 665 had hoped they would have made their superiority tell more convincingly.

Wayne Turk came off the bench to net City's third in the 90th minute.

Saturday's league contest with Dover Athletic attracted a notable crowd of 417 despite going head to head with England's televised World Cup clash with Wales.

Numerous wasted chances ensured City had to settle for a share of the spoils against the strugglers.

Whites' midweek defeat at home to Northwood means they are without a league win since Septem-ber 11 and are now in danger of losing touch with the early-season pacemakers.

Barry Blankley, who has assumed responsibility for first team affairs in the absence of Nick Holmes who returned to the USA following the Dover game, admitted there had been some home truths aired in the dressing room following Tuesday's defeat.

"There were some harsh words afterwards," said Blankley. "But how they respond will tell me what sort of character they've got ahead of Saturday.

"I'm a winner and I want winners around me. If they don't want to be winners I don't want them at the club."

He added: "To be fair Northwood wanted it more than us. That's what it comes down to.

"You can have as much skill and quality as you want, but if you don't do the ugly things of football - the closing down, winning your own personal tackles - then you're going to get beat.

"We were struggling with injuries beforehand and Matty getting sent off didn't help. That was always going to make it very difficult for us in the second half.

"I thought the referee was poor but you have to rise above all these things.

"We worked hard in the second half but there were too many individual performances for my liking."

Former Coventry City manager John Sillett, who led the Highfield Road side to victory in the 1987 FA Cup final, is the special guest speaker at a Fundraising dinner at City's Sarum Suite on Friday, October 29.

The charismatic Sillett is joined by comedian Barry Cheese at the event which starts at 8pm. Tickets are on sale now, £35. Ring 01722 326454 for full details.