JOE Roach was left to rue an unwanted hat-trick as Cherries suffered a 4-2 defeat at the hands of Youth Alliance rivals Bristol Rovers on Saturday.

Roach’s injury-hit charges headed to the AXA Sports Ground in Filton looking to leapfrog the unbeaten Pirates at the top of the South West Conference.

But no fewer than three defensive mistakes cost Cherries as Rovers landed the spoils in a dress rehearsal for next week’s FA Youth Cup first round tie between the two clubs.

A virus had robbed Cherries of Brad Magookin and Paddy Hester on the eve of the contest before Luke Burbidge also succumbed to the bug after just 20 minutes.

Roach said: “Although we were missing a few key players, we probably had more goalscoring chances than them but just didn’t make the right choices.

“Allied to that, three of their goals were errors on our part when we could have done better. We gave them too much space.

“We were disjointed and disrupted and, on another day, would have expected a better performance. Bristol Rovers took advantage of the situation.

“They were certainly one of the better teams we have played this season, if not the best. They are top of the league and, on the evidence of their performance against us, deservedly so.”

Under newly-appointed head of youth Darren Patterson, the former Northern Ireland international, Rovers returned to the scholarship scheme this season and the move seems to be paying dividends.

Although Matt Kemble’s goal cancelled out Jack McKenna’s second-minute opener, Cherries allowed Ollie Clark’s cross-cum-shot to restore Rovers’ lead midway through the first half.

And after Kemble had finished a sweeping move involving Tom Hill, Tom Green and Danny Ings to again level, defensive hesitancy allowed Lamar Powell and George Booth to profit as Rovers sealed the points.

Cherries: Murphy, Annetts, Strugnell, Oldring, Holmes, Green, Bell, Burbidge (Hill, 20), Parsons (Stockley, 56), Kemble, Ings (Vokes, 72). Unused sub: Strong.