BOSS Ollie Cherrett was pleased to see Christchurch pick up a useful point from a 2-2 draw at Whitchurch in Wessex One – but felt it could have been three.

Priory headed to Longmeadow bidding to make it back-to-back wins following their midweek triumph at Weymouth reserves but were hampered by a lack of forward options, with last season's leading marksmen Luke Stone again sidelined.

However, despite travelling with a depleted squad, the Hurn Bridge outfit were quickest out of the traps and, after seven minutes, Jack Satterley fired them ahead as a defensive mix-up saw a Max Frampton clearance run into his path and he slotted home.

Priory dominated possession but a second goal was not forthcoming and Whitchurch made the visitors pay when Jack Ormiston’s long-range effort levelled just before the half-hour mark.

David Panter then put the hosts in front before Satterley netted his second on the stroke of half-time.

Although Whitchurch were reduced to 10 men after the break when Craig Rutledge was shown a red card for a foul on Grant Cormack, Cherrett’s side could not make their numerical advantage count.

Cherrett told the Daily Echo: “We made a great start and, after Jack’s first goal, I was hoping we would push on and really make our mark on the game.

“We let them back into it, but managed to regroup and, scoring right on half-time, changed the game. The second half was all us and the only team that looked like winning was us.

"But credit to Whitchurch, they are a tough young side that dug deep and, looking back, a point was a good result, although, on another day, and with a few more attacking options, we may have got the win.

“The sending off didn’t really help us either as Grant was clean through and I would have backed him to score. Their lad just came in and chopped him down and although he deserved to get sent-off, all we got was a free-kick 15 yards outside the box. Whitchurch then frustrated us for the next 10 minutes and, at full-time, were the ones celebrating that they had held on for a draw.”

With the games coming thick and fast for Christchurch in the season's opening weeks, Fawley are next up on Wednesday with Cherrett keen to see Priory’s home form start well as he plots a return to the Wessex Premier after narrowly missing out in the two previous campaigns.

“We’ve got four points from two very tough away games,” he added. “We should have had more, but I would be lying if I said I wasn’t happy and we hope to take the momentum of those results into the Fawley game.

“It’s going to be a tough match, like every game in a long season will be, but we will just keep working the boys hard taking things one match at a time.”