SALISBURY City will be looking to re-ignite their promotion challenge this week with two games in five days, writes Ryan Lovejoy.

Hastings United, the last team the Whites beat in the league, visit on Saturday before Wed-nesday's trip to Burgess Hill Town.

However, City will be without a number of key players for Saturday's match.

As well as suspensions and injuries, the club will be without influential winger Stuart James who has been forced to quit football after accepting a job with The Guardian newspaper in London.

When James joined from Bath City last summer he was embarking on the final year of his journalism degree at Bournemouth University, and admitted there was always a chance his sportswriting career would curtail his playing days.

James made 32 appearances for the Whites, including the FA Cup first round tie at Sheffield Wednesday.

City boss Nick Holmes said: "Playing football takes up quite a bit of time and with his job requiring Saturday work, he had to make a decision. It's a great shame because he did well for us and will be sorely missed but we all wish him well."

Last week's snow left the Raymond McEnhill Stadium pitch unplayable on Saturday, denying James the chance to say a final farewell to the Salisbury faithful in the game against Histon.

An unfortunate side effect of the postponement for the Whites is that their suspended players - Wayne Turk and Glenn Howes - will still be ruled out of the Hastings match along with Josh Thomas who was already due to serve a one-game ban.

Hastings have problems of their own after having four players sent off in their 3-1 defeat at Ashford Town on Saturday, however, their suspensions will not start until after their trip to Old Sarum.

Holmes added: "I was disappointed we had to call off the game, but we can't control the weather.

"We had a lot of snow on Thursday and the terraces were covered as well as the pitch. The safety of supporters was an important factor, and maybe having to postpone the game is a price we pay for having a nice stadium."

The unexpected day off allowed Holmes to run the rule over two of City's promotion-chasing rivals.

"I saw Eastleigh draw 0-0 with Tonbridge Angels and that was a battle and a half. We know what we're up against in the final part of the season"

City defender Michael Coo-per looks certain to undergo an operation on the knee he injur-ed in the FA Cup tie at Hillsborough.

Cooper missed more than a dozen games before recently returning to first team action.

Holmes this week moved quickly to bolster his squad with the signing of 19-year-old AFC Bournemouth defender Tim Bond.

"Tim has joined until the end of the season. I've seen him play several times for Bournemouth's reserves and under 19s and he's a big strong central defender which we need right now."