Alan Connell was over the moon with his first senior goal and more so with the three points. In reply to comments we've got from Sean O'Driscoll, he admitted that he wasn't yet fully match fit and the goal was a perfect way of re-paying the faith shown in him.

Sean O'Driscoll heaped special praise to striker Alan Connell after the teenager scored his first senior goal at the weekend to bring three points back to the South Coast. Connell was waited his chance to impress since the start of the season and has taken the chance with both feet so to speak in his two starts so far. O'Driscoll said, "Alan has been first class since he arrived and he deserved his goal."

"At this moment in time he is not a ninety-minute player and you could see how tired he was both today and against Oxford. He runs his heart out and you get silly comments from the crowd. They were directed at me, but they affect players."

The goal saw Bournemouth get that little bit of luck that just wouldn't come last season and O'Driscoll was particularly pleased due to the pressure the players were under and also stated that sometimes trying too hard has gone against them. He added, "It was pleasing to get the win and the players were under a lot of pressure. The goal was a bit fortunate with the deflection off the referee, but you make your own luck in football and the goal came at the end of a steady spell of pressure. There were periods in the game when maybe it was too easy and we're not used to that."

"The effort from the lads has been superb and if that continues over the next few games you can't ask for anything more. We know what we have to achieve and hopefully the tide has turned. A few more goals would have put the icing on the cake, but we are grateful for the win. We've got to carry this on and build on it week at Exeter."

Connell himself said the goal really topped off the three points for him. Talking through the strike he said, "It's been a little while coming, but it's great to get the three points and to get my first goal really tops it off. I didn't realise it had come off the ref until someone had told me in the dressing room."

"I came in late and read it well and was so glad to see it go in. There have been a lot of things said and the players were under pressure. It was pleasing to get a win even if the goal was probably a little bit fortunate with the deflection off the referee."

Connell also fully understands the comments made by O'Driscoll about the striker not being a ninety-minute player. Match fitness is something he aims to work on over the next few weeks and said, "I want to repay the faith shown in me by Sean O'Driscoll and Peter Grant. I'm pleased for them because they deserved that win and everyone was superb in achieving that."

"I understand Sean bringing me off and I don't have a problem with it. I need time to build up my match fitness. I felt I worked really hard and got a bit of cramp towards the end. The work rate is important to the whole team and although tiredness comes into it, I'll get fitter as the games go on."

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