PICKERING Town’s Ebac Northern League division one survival hopes suffered another blow on Saturday, as they fell to a 4-1 defeat at 10-man Whickham.

The result sees the Pikes slip to 19th position on just 26 points, having played two more games than their nearest rivals, and with a goal difference of minus 50.

It proved to be an eventful match for the hosts’ Shay Richardson, whose own goal at the end of the first half was sandwiched by a brace at the right end of the pitch.

But despite playing 70 minutes of the match with 10 men, and also seeing their assistant manager sent off, it was plain sailing for the hosts against a Pikes side battling to avoid a second successive relegation.

There had been little quality from either side before the game sparked to life in the 19th minute, with Whickham’s Kaleb Young being shown a straight red card for a dangerous late tackle on Kofi Appiah.

Teenager Harry McGuire, making his third first team appearance, spared Pickering’s blushes with a point-blank save from Kyle Patton soon after but was unable to prevent his side from conceding the opening goal in the 24th minute.

The on-loan Dan Turner weaved past two defenders before slotting into the bottom corner, with his side’s assistant carded in the aftermath for abusive language towards the referee.

Turner then turned provider to perfectly set up Richardson to double the hosts’ lead, with the latter finding the back of the net again five minutes later, gifting Pickering a way back into the game after deflecting the ball past Nick Liversedge.

And the hosts netted a third on the stroke of half time as the rain began to fall, McGuire dropping a cross into the box, which fell kindly to Richardson to fire into an empty net.

Despite their numerical advantage, the Pikes continued to struggle after the interval, with Whickham wrapping up the scoring at the death with the pick of the goals.

Debutant Tom Romano ran 40 yards forward with the ball before expertly firing into the bottom corner to heap more misery on Rudy Funk’s charges.

Pickering will be hoping to return to winning ways tonight, when they make the trip to eighth-placed Guisborough Town (7:45pm).