POOLE Town’s difficult spell in Southern League Premier South took another hit, as they were thrashed 4-0 away at Winchester City.

Dolphins made the trip having lost eight of their last nine league matches and never looked like getting anything on Saturday, ending the game with 10 men after Declan Rose was given his marching orders.

Boss James Ellis made three changes from the side beaten at home by Walton & Hersham. Toby Holmes and Harvey Wright served suspensions, while Kaya Tshaka dropped to the bench. New signing Yoan Zouma made his debut, while Jordan Chiedozie and Harry Hutchinson also came into the starting XI.

Winchester broke the deadlock on 21 minutes through Joshua McCormick, before Jordan Rose doubled the tally.

Oliver Balmer made it 3-0 early in the second half, before any hopes Poole had were completed dashed when Declan Rose was sent off for a second bookable offence, deemed to have made a foul in the area.

The resulting penalty was saved by Max Evans, but he could not prevent Sam Ashton adding gloss to the score late on.

Defeat sees Poole sitting 12th in the table, ahead of a trip to 11th-placed Hendon on Tuesday (7.45pm).

Dolphins: Evans, Rose, Staunton, Whisken, Zouma, Hutchinson, Murray, Lowes, Fogden, Scrimshaw, Chiedozie.

Subs: Tshaka, Santos, Slade, Nippard, Thomas (g/k).