ASHES fans could be forgiven for building up their hopes of silverware after watching possibly the most impressive of their eight straight league victories at Bolitho Park.

The victory has almost ended Parkway's hopes of retaining their title as they are now a massive 10 points adrift of Martin Burgess's side with both teams having played 15 games.

Saltash are also level on points with second place Bodmin, with two games in hand, and five points adrift of leaders Ivybridge with four games in hand.

Yet it was Parkway who struck the first blow when Danny Lewis sent a cross to the near post for Levi Landricombe to hit first time past Cory Harvey for a third minute lead.

Landricombe could have had a second six minutes later when he latched on to a poor back pass only to lift his effort over the bar from the edge of the area.

Ashes were level, on 13 minutes, when Richard Maddison's free kick from the right found the impressive Sam Hughes sending a great header in to the far corner of Josh Colwill's goal.

Jon Hoyles then sent a fiercely-angled drive across the goal and just wide of the Parkway far post before Harvey, a first-year apprentice at Plymouth Argyle, made a great save from Landricombe's first- time drive.

The home supporters, amongst the crowd of 218, were rocked when Saltash took a 36th minute lead as Lee Bevan's deep cross caused confusion in the Parkway defence, with the ball eventually dropping to Hoyles who fairly lashed it into the back of the net from 18 yards.

But Parkway hit back with the goal of the game as skipper Will Stringer, who had been having a torrid time with Hughes, took time off to unleash an unstoppable first-time drive past Harvey from 25 yards.

Ashes hit back to go in leading 3-2 at the break, when Colwill could only help Dave Trott's angled drive into his own net.

Parkway should have been level three minutes after the break, but Landricombe lashed Andrew Neal's superb pass over the bar from 17 yards.

Hughes' 20-yarder just cleared the home crossbar before Harvey made a great tip-over from Neal's clever lob but the Ashes keeper's efforts were matched by Colwill's cracking reactive save from Hoyles' close range volley.

Parkway threw everything forward for the last 15 minutes with Landricombe firing wide from the edge of the box before firing in a 20-yard free kick which crashed back off the bar.

But the final word went to Ashes' impressive loan player Harvey who made a great low save from substitute Chris Wright's angled drive to preserve his side's lead on the stroke of full time.