CHRISTCHURCH boss Adie Arnold admitted he sympathised with the frustrations of former first-team coach Andy Darnton.

Darnton left the Sydenhams Wessex Premier strugglers by mutual consent with senior players Mark Smith and Gareth Barnes assisting with coaching duties in his absence.

Arnold told the Daily Echo: “With the changes at the helm after Mark Duffy’s departure as chairman, the club decided that the future approach needed to be more local. Andy travelled from Southampton and the club could no longer sustain this.

“I would like to put on record my thanks to Andy. His contribution has been immense thanks to his approach, knowledge, professionalism and experience.

“He has played and coached at a much higher level and at times he found it extremely frustrating that players couldn’t commit to training and their mentality towards football.

“I do share his frustrations but that is Wessex League football when you are a non-paying club.”

In an article published by the Southern Daily Echo on Tuesday, Darnton revealed that he had found player commitment levels difficult to understand.

He said: “At Christchurch, it’s an uphill task for Adie and a difficult one to get right.

“It was 30 miles for me to travel down there, so to turn up and find only eight players at training when they all live on the doorstep was difficult to get my head round. But then, if the club’s not paying...”

Relegation-threatened Priory face sixth-placed Whitchurch at home tomorrow (3pm).