BOSS Christer Warren did well to miss this humiliating defeat as Wimborne Town's tardy start to the season continued at Cuthbury.

Goals from Wimborne old boy Gareth Barnes and recent addition Jon Brock earned Christchurch their first league win of the campaign.

And Mark Jones's late header was a mere consolation for the misfiring Magpies, whose manager was absent due to work commitments.

"Whether or not that worked in our favour, I don't know," said Priory boss Graham Kemp. "I don't think it made any difference to the outcome because we got the right result."

Having blown their title chances by the start of April last season, Wimborne are in danger of doing likewise this season - but by the end of August.

With just four points garnered from their opening four games, the Magpies already languish in the lower half of the embryonic table and are playing catch-up.

Kemp added: "I think they are under a little bit of pressure. Poole and a couple of other clubs have got a bit away from them.

"They drew on Saturday (at Hayling) and I always felt that the longer the game went on today, they may start to get a bit edgy.

"I think that result has been coming for a couple of weeks. I've said to people that we're a good side but we haven't quite had the rub of the green "We played like that against Brockenhurst, Poole and Poppies and, if anything, I'm disappointed with the number of points we've got because I think we should have had more."

The two sides traded early chances with Liam Green denied by former Magpies goalkeeper Stewart Kearn after just 10 seconds and Russell Cooke thwarted by Alan Walker-Harris.

And as an entertaining first half ebbed and flowed, Colin Dand hacked away Scott Joyce's effort before Dan Crutchley missed the target with a free header.

Kearn again saved from James Stokoe and Jones before Barnes made the breakthrough when he followed up to nod home the rebound after Cooke's shot had come back off the underside of the crossbar in the 30th minute.

Squandered possession cost the Magpies when Priory doubled their lead through Brock following good work by Cooke seven minutes into the second half.

And after Jones had headed home Dan Cann's 75th-minute corner to halve the deficit, Wimborne laid siege to the Priory goal, their search for an equaliser proving ultimately futile.

Kemp added: "It certainly wasn't a case of us hanging on for 90 minutes and having a couple of breakaways.

"I don't think anyone could complain about the result. It was a bit hairy for the last 15 minutes but we weathered that and probably got what we deserved."