BULLISH boss Michael Cuffie believes Christchurch’s nine-point buffer will be enough to stave off a late relegation scrap – despite another heavy defeat on Saturday.

Cuffie’s charges suffered a repeat of their 4-0 derby thrashing at Hamworthy United in midweek as high-flying Folland Sports put Priory to the sword by the same scoreline.

Substitute Jamie Betteridge struck a treble to accompany Matthew Burt’s strike on a miserable afternoon for the Hurn Bridge outfit, who also had midfielder Mark Smith sent off in the second half.

Christchurch, winless in six league outings, dropped into the bottom five as a result, but while Cuffie acknowledged that relegation-haunted duo Fawley and Romsey had picked up of late he argued it would take a much sharper turnaround to cause his club a problem.

Asked whether he had any concerns about becoming embroiled in the dogfight, Cuffie told the Daily Echo: “I am not too concerned at all at the moment.

“The bottom two have played quite a few games more than us and they would have to do something they had not done all season and put together three or four wins.

“You can never say never and we have got to pick up some results for ourselves as much as looking at what other teams are doing, but I am confident we can turn things around. Once we get to the games against teams in and around us we will be okay.

On the match, Cuffie added: “Despite the result, I came away feeling very positive because the performance was a lot better and the new guys we drafted in established themselves very well.

“We were probably the better side in the first 20 minutes and we were quite happy to be one down but still in the game at half-time.

“But we do have to learn that playing well isn’t always good enough. We’re in a results game and we have to turn those displays into points.”

Priory: Field, Donachy, Steer (Doe, 70), Taylor, Baker, Cullen, Smith, Fairbrother, Dibigbo (Burden, 55), Carter (Head, 75), Hanratty. Unused subs: Proudley, Whittaker.