Alan Connell admitted he was pleased with his side’s performance in yesterday’s friendly over Leicester, playing a mixed team against the Foxes in the midlands.

Connor Kurran-Browne’s strike wasn’t enough for the young Cherries, who were defeated after two second-half goals for the hosts.

Despite the defeat, the former striker remained upbeat about the game, which was a useful exercise for him and his players.

“It was a really good game, we’ve played Leicester a few times and have got a good relationship with them,” he began.

“It was another competitive game, both sides played good football and both players and staff would’ve got a lot from it, which was the aim of putting the game on so it was a really good day.

“I’m pleased with our attacking play and defensively we did ok. We probably conceded too many chances for my liking, but I’m pleased with the efforts and the way they kept going. It was a good game to test ourselves against high quality opposition and another good workout.

“They’re a Category 1 side, so often play against the likes of Arsenal, Tottenham and Chelsea.  They’re hosting a tournament in six weeks which we’re heading up for and it’s good to play these teams and test ourselves.”

There were also positives to take for those returning from injuries, with a number of different players making a comeback in the game.

“We had a mixed team out and there were different players playing for different reasons,” continued Connell.  

“We had a couple of older lads playing their first minutes since picking up long-term injuries and we then had players playing that haven’t had as much game time as they would’ve liked.

“Ryan Glover and Dinesh Gillela played 45 minutes each after being out for a long time – they’re obviously older but it was good to play them.

“There were also a couple of our under-18s coming back from short-term injuries and we also had a triallist playing, so it was a real mixed team thrown together.”