NINE-man Christchurch were beaten 3-0 by Alresford Town in a game that had more yellow cards than shots on target.

No fewer than nine cautions were dished out at Hurn Bridge as Priory's relegation worries were deepened by a Tom Riddell brace and a Dan Fox effort.

Four of the yellow cards were shown to Matt Swindlehurst and Chris Williams, who were dismissed within minutes of each other during the latter stages with the score at 2-0.

Riddell put the visitors in front in the first period when he slotted past advancing keeper Adam Tong.

The hosts had appeals for handball in the box waved away and then survived a scare at the other end when their crossbar was rattled.

Lewis Brown nodded a header wide as half-time loomed, a miss that was to prove costly.

After matters resumed, Tong failed to hold on to an awkward shot from range and the ball was smashed home by the unmarked Fox.

The home stopper made a smart save to keep the score at 2-0 but Priory's afternoon then went from bad to worse when Swindlehurst and Williams were ordered off.

Riddell lobbed Tong to make it 3-0 and complete a miserable day for the home side.

Priory assistant Danny Saxby said: “We were missing a few players so we brought in a few youngsters to freshen it up and possibly it was too many at once.

“It's a dogfight now and perhaps we will go with a little bit more experience in future. Lads tried to prove themselves but maybe we had thrust them in a little bit too quickly.”

Christchurch remain third-bottom in the Wessex Premier table, two points ahead of Fareham and six behind Bournemouth Poppies.

Priory: Tong, Swindlehurst, Williams, Dent, Vining, Saxby, Aurow (Morse, h-t), Smith, Saul, Barnes (Lovell, h-t), Brown (Banfield, 75). Unused sub: Fawcett.