CHERRIES star Wade Elliott has admitted he may be fighting a losing battle as he bids to clear his name over his controversial red card at Cambridge.

The 22-year-old midfielder was sent-off for violent conduct after he appeared to elbow U's defender John Dreyer just 27 minutes into the Abbey Stadium clash.

Cherries are planning to launch an appeal against his dismissal, although both the club and the FA are still waiting to see referee Mick Fletcher's report of the incident.

But Elliott, who faces a three-match ban for the offence starting a week today against Reading, is already fearing the worst after watching a video of the incident.

Elliott, booked just once in his short professional career, said: "I didn't think it was a sending-off offence, but I can understand why the referee showed me the red card.

"The video doesn't do me any favours, although it was not taken from the best angle because all you can really see it their player cutting across me.

"All I remember is the ball looping up in the air and me thinking I could win it with my head. The next thing I knew was that their player was on the floor.

"I certainly didn't mean to injure him and there was definitely nothing deliberate about what happened, it's just your natural inclination is to jump with your leading arm. There was nothing I could do about it at the time because the referee thought it was a sending-off offence, but hopefully he may look at it leniently and the red card will be downgraded."

Elliott also revealed how his Abbey Stadium nightmare prompted him to pull out all the stops at Millwall on Saturday where he set up Cherries' winning goal for Claus Jorgensen.

The former Bashley man added: "I was very down at Cambridge, but I was lucky because the rest of the lads got me out of jail and pulled off a great result.

"I had to watch the second half from the stand and I could see how hard everybody had to work because we were down to 10 men. After that, I knew I had to prove I was worth my place against Millwall because I owed it to Sean and the rest of the team.

"I have played in a team with 10 men and I know how hard it is. They must have been very tired at the end and I had to show the same level of commitment in my performance on Saturday."

* Sean O'Driscoll has invited Inverness Caledonian Thistle defender Richard Hastings to train with Cherries this week.

* Former Cherries striker Dave Town has joined Nationwide Conference outfit Hayes on loan from Rushden & Diamonds.

Town, who is out of contract at Nene Park in the summer, netted in Hayes' 2-0 win over Conference strugglers Kettering on Saturday.