WHITCHURCH returned to winning, and goalscoring ways, on Saturday, though the visitors for a large part of the game were reduced to ten men and without a recognised goalkeeper.

With only Scott Hassall missing, manager Carl Bennett had almost a full squad to choose from and recalled Adam Pearson and Cole Hinchliffe to the heart of the defence and gave a full debut to Steve Allen.

The home side made the better start with Danny Phillips winning a corner on the left, but then survived strong appeals for handball in their own area before taking the lead after seven minutes, Phillips firing home from the edge of the area after fastening on to Matt Austin’s through ball.

Whitchurch keeper Brad Snelling left his area to stop Sam Pekun while Kenny Vaughan at the other end saved well from Austin.

Tom Lockyer was narrowly wide from distance before the probable game-defining moment came when Vaughan brought down Jamie Mansell and received a red card as well as conceding a penalty.

Fawzi Saadi took over the goalkeeping jersey but could do nothing to prevent Josh Green making it 2-0 from the spot – two goals in two games for the full back following his return from Winchester.

The visitors were still trying to settle a reorganised defence and Mansell quickly took advantage by slotting home number three.

Snelling hung on to a drive by Pekun but play was mainly at the other end and ten minutes before the break Whitchurch added a fourth.

Bournemouth conceded a free-kick on the edge of the area, it was quickly taken and Austin beat Saadi from 12 yards.

That, however, was not the end of the scoring for the half as Pekun broke through a strong challenge from Pearson and beat Snelling to reduce the deficit.

Lockyer was again too high from distance on the restart and the substitute goalkeeper denied Allen a first goal with a fine save at the other end before being left stranded by his defence looking for a nonexistent offside flag that a l l o w e d Phillips to score number five.

Snelling saved well to deny Carl Foster but, under pressure from Lamin Dibba, allowed a Taylor Leonard shot to squirm beneath him and over the line to give the visitors a second goal with eight minutes r e m a i n i n g .

Mansell made it six for the home side as the game moved past the 90 minute mark.

It completed a fine double over the Poppies, having scored five at Victoria Park earlier in the season and was the first time Bournemouth had been defeated in 13 visits to Longmeadow.