NOBODY wanted to stand near Paul Brickley on Saturday as the Westbury boss barked flu-ridden orders from the boggy touchline.

The scoreline was also a little close for comfort as Westbury almost squandered a two-goal lead at lowly Saltash. Brickley said afterwards his side should have been out of sight before Marc Thorne's late strike set nerve-ends jangling.

He said: "We should have had the game wrapped up but we didn't take our chances. We were hanging on in the last 10 minutes and it was only sheer hard work that saw us home. "The lads have bonded well both on and off the field and that is showing in our football. If we keep going and results go our way, we could finish in the top three."

Wayne Wheeler almost gave Westbury a dream start but his volley was turned round the post by Mike Fowler. Saltash launched a rapid counter attack and Ryan McClements was unlucky to see his 25 yard strike fly past Nick Evans' left hand post.

The White Horse men took the lead after 30 minutes in bizarre circumstances. Wheeler appeared to have scored when his shot was deflected over the line by Mike Norman, but no goal was awarded.

Matty Bown's rebound was cleared off the line and as the ball looped skyward, Ross Parker headed it back over a crowd of players and into the net. Nick Evans denied McClements and Matt Penry and Marc Thorne shot inches wide as Saltash pressed for an equaliser.

Steve Seals doubled Westbury's lead after 62 minutes with a calmly converted penalty following Steve Murphy's handball. Thorne reduced the arrears with nine minutes left with a powerful header but Westbury stood firm in the closing stages to deny The Ashes a late equaliser.