TOMMY Widdrington believes Conference South runners-up Salisbury City deserve the chance to play in the top flight of the non-league game and hopes his team mates will rise to the occasion to first see off Bishop's Stortford tomorrow in the play-off semi-final second leg, and then win next Sunday's final against either Havant & Waterlooville or Braintree Town.

The City player-coach, who chalked up another ten minutes of action as a late sub in Wednesday's first leg 1-1 draw, has been sidelined since suffering a knee injury back in October.

He knows he could yet play some part in influencing which league Whites compete in next term, but has total confidence in his colleagues, who were impressive in Wednesday's contest.

"It was a good game. We're at the stage of the season where the result is massively important and people could say that performances go out of the window. But I thought the lads turned in a really good away performance.

"Bishop's Stortford started the game ever so well, which we knew they would.

"They were high tempo - they passed the ball around well and it took us ten or 15 minutes to get a grip with that. But I thought we did, and we finished the first half very, very strongly. I thought in the last 25 minutes of the first half we were excellent."

City went in on level terms after a goalless first half, but went behind just nine minutes into the second half.

"To be honest we were disappointed to concede a goal and especially in the manner we did because I thought they were a little bit lucky - though they'd say it was good play! The lad got a shot off, Bondy got a very good block on it which took all the pace out, but only diverted it to their number nine who, in fairness to him, showed a cool head and stuck it past Ryan (Clarke) who didn't have a chance.

"But the great thing about it for me was how we've responded to that."

Super sub Robbie Matthews duly replaced Paul Sales and within minutes of taking to the pitch, had netted City's all-important equaliser.

"Paul has done his shift - 60-65 minutes - and Robbie went on and was excellent," enthused Widdrington. "He looked dangerous from the moment he went on and I'm delighted he got a goal."

Widdrington believes Whites should then have pushed on to win the game and put themselves in pole position ahead of Saturday's second leg against Martin Hayes' attack-minded side.

"If people at the game were being honest they'd have to say that we deserved a goal and deserved to go on and win it.

"We've created enough chances in the last 15 minutes or so when the game had opened up, but that's because Bishop's tried to come and win the match.

"That's something that not a lot of teams have tried to do against us - home or away.

"I've always maintained that no matter what level you play at, if people put eight or nine people behind the ball and say: go on break us down,' it's very, very difficult.

"But they weren't of that nature. Martin's got them playing very decent football and hopefully it'll be a similar game on Saturday - but with the result slightly different!"

As to his own form - Widdrington is happy just to be back in the frame after his injury threatened to bring his season as a player to a premature close.

He came off the bench against Basingstoke Town last weekend and with another short spell under his belt on Wednesday night, knows he is getting stronger with each game.

"I was okay - it was a bit colder! I felt it a little more difficult to get going, than I did on Saturday. But I thought Matty (Holmes) had done ever so well again - he's done the leg work for me and it's no coincidence that when he's done that leg work I can get in there and get on the ball and pass it and spread it a little bit more.

"We carved them open for fun I felt, in the short spell I was on the pitch - that's not because of me, that's because the job was already done and because they were still trying to win the match. But on another day we might have took one or two of those chances. But we can't be disappointed with that."

Widdrington is adamant City should already have secured their place in the Conference.

"I think if you finish second in your league you should be promoted. But we knew the score before we started the season and we're now in the play-offs.

"And the way the season's been I firmly believe we deserve the chance to go up. But just because you finish second you're not given any special treatment - I don't think playing away from home on a Wednesday night actually is an advantage to playing away on a Saturday. Remember, all our lads have had to go to work today and then travel here, but they've done ever so well."

Widdrington wants to help ensure City's 2006/07 season isn't solely remembered for them reaching the second round of the FA Cup and the quarter finals of the FA Trophy.

"Everyone will remember this season for the Nottingham Forest games in the FA Cup and rightly so, but that's been and gone and it is history.

"But these are great games to play in and is a part of the long term history of the club. If we can make that step up it will go down as the best season, or the best individual thing this club has done.

"For some of our lads that Forest game was the biggest game of their careers, but this next one on Saturday is now the biggest - because it gives us that actual opportunity to take us one step further up."