CHRISTCHURCH boss Ollie Cherrett praised his players for delivering “a performance we could be proud of” after they stopped the rot by registering a 2-1 win at Shaftesbury on Tuesday.

Russell Cook’s second goal since returning to the club and a first for Cherries loan star Ben Cooper saw Priory halt a dispiriting five-match winless run in Wessex One.

Substitute Sammy Lopez netted a late consolation for Shaftesbury as victory hoisted Christchurch above their Dorset rivals and back into fourth place.

Priory closed the gap on third-placed Laverstock & Ford to six points, although the Wiltshire outfit – who occupy the final promotion berth – have two games in hand.

Cherrett told the Daily Echo: “After five tough games, I asked the lads for a performance we could be proud of and they came up trumps.

“Scoring after three minutes showed real intent from us and we all knew only three points would give us a realistic chance of staying in contention.

“The lads were superb. The conditions weren’t the best but we showed real steel, togetherness and a desire to win.

“Shaftesbury are a strong side and Ben Cooper was outstanding and completed a great move to put us 2-0 up.

“They scored a scrappy goal with about four minutes to go but they never really troubled us as the lads showed character and dug in to get a massive three points.”