WEYMOUTH 4 SALISBURY 0 IT MIGHT have been billed as a full-blooded local derby, but this Dr Martens Cup first round tie proved little more than a training exercise for Weymouth.

A brace from birthday boy David Laws, plus late strikes by Lee Phillips and Ian Hutchinson, eased the Terras past the Premier Division basement dwellers Salisbury City last night.

And don't expect to see the Wiltshire side back at the Wessex Stadium in a hurry. On this disappointing showing the Whites can start preparing for life in the Eastern League next season.

Having said that though, City did have a few chances - albeit as the a direct result of mistakes by their opponents - and what manager Taffy Richardson would give for a Laws, Phillips or Darran Rowbotham to boost his limited attacking options.

But an indication of what sort of night lay ahead came in the fifth minute when lanky front man Darren Cook's shot from the edge of the Weymouth area sailed inches wide of the corner flag!

The Terras meanwhile performed with stacks in reserve with goalkeeper Danny Potter rarely seriously troubled. The home team should have gone in front on 15 minutes when Hutchinson set up midfield partner Mark Robinson just inside the box but his low drive was brilliantly saved by the impressive James Bittner.

Robinson quickly made amends for that miss when two minutes later he provided the through ball which saw Laws wrong-foot marker Roger Emms and blast first time into the back of the net from 15 yards.

The width of a cigarette paper denied the Terras' leading goal scorer his second just past the half-hour with the ball literally brushing his forehead after he had steamed in to meet Mark Rawlinson's cross from the left.

It was only a matter of time before Laws would be celebrating again and sure enough he was punching the air in jubilation, three minutes before the break.

Matthew Hale sent in a swinging centre from the left touchline, which deflected perfectly to the centre forward's feet just inside the right-hand corner of the penalty box.

With time and space aplenty, Laws simply looked up, picked his spot and curled nonchalantly beyond a rooted Bittner.

Salisbury showed a bit more spirit following the interval and they really should have got themselves back into the contest when Hale's underhit back pass was intercepted by trialist Ryan King.

The tidy looking Backwell United striker squared to an unmarked Darren Cook, but not for the first time he sliced his effort way, way wide of Potter's goal.

Laws wasted a decent hat-trick opportunity on 61 minutes when, after beating three defenders, his weak shot at the end of a surging run was comfortably dealt with by Bittner.

And that was to be his last contribution with ex-Salisbury loan star Martin Underhay sent on to replace him with 24 minutes remaining.

A handling mistake by Potter gave City a sniff in the 73rd minute but lady luck was against the Wiltshire outfit as Rawlinson cleared skipper Emms' toe-poke off the line.

But it was the Terras who finished the tie in style, giving their smallest and no doubt coldest crowd of the season two more goals to celebrate during an exhibition-like final ten minutes.

First substitute Lee Phillips robbed Richardson before sprinting 30-yards and rounding Bittner for number three, and when he was then twice thwarted from close range in the 88th minute, there was Hutchinson to rifle home the rebound.