SALISBURY manager Steve Claridge believes Hereford are already a National League side in the making.

Claridge's team were humbled 4-0 by a rampant Bulls team, which helped clinch the Southern League Division One South & West title for Pete Beadle's side.

"They are a Conference, stroke League Two, side in waiting, so we're not playing against a South & West side," said Claridge.

"I'm not saying we should have won the game, they are a good side who came here and worked really hard and deserved their victory.

They were so clinical at times, it was astonishing.

"I think they had four chances and scored three of them.

"Even in the second half they haven't had an awful lot of the play, but the quality of the balls in the box and the finishing and movement was exceptional at times.

"We have played an awful lot worse at times and against everybody else, a performance like that would probably get us close.

"I'm not sure 4-0 was a true reflection of the game and I think if we had taken a couple of guilt-edge chances we had, I think it would have been a fairer reflection.

"But having said that, I've got no excuses, they were the better side and I will shake hands.

"They are the best team in the league, but we had eight players missing which puts it into some kind of context.

"You look at their side and it's pretty consistent all the way through."

Claridge believes his team have to win all their remaining games to ensure they have home advantage in the play-offs.

"If we win the next seven games we will have a great chance of finishing in the top two or three," he said.

"Hereford have still got to go to Taunton and we know they'll do it properly, they will see this through all the way.

"Tiverton have also got some tough games to play, so it's up to us now to go on a run like we did after losing to Evesham and Hereford earlier in the season."