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Connell - People still talk about Burton to this day

Written by Iain Pearce

As AFC Bournemouth mark the eighth anniversary of their League Two promotion, Alan Connell - a goalscorer in the clinching win - shared some of his memories of the day.

Brett Pitman and Connell were the goalscoring heroes on this day eight years ago as the Cherries followed up the Great Escape a season previously with a stunning promotion run, confirmed with the 2-0 win at the Pirelli Stadium.

Now in charge as manager of the Bournemouth youth team, Connell shared some of his memories from a busy and triumphant occasion.

He began: "Over a long career you end up forgetting a lot of things that happen but weirdly for that game I remember everything: from which hotel we stayed in, getting off the coach with all the fans being there - you could sense that it was different from your average away game.

"With that group of players we had a real focus and desire to do well for each other. For that match I remember it was clearly a day when everyone was ready, there was no doubt about that."

Connell, then 27 and in his second spell with the club, started the game on the bench but came on for Steve Fletcher towards the end of the match and scored the all-important second goal that put any lingering promotion doubts to bed.

"The first half was a bit scrappy and then in the second half Brett scored a very well taken goal," remembered Connell. "I came on for Big Fletch in the latter stages of the game and then scored, a nice one at the near post.

"It was good to celebrate with all my team-mates. I remember all the bench came running down as well. It was real togetherness which summed up that squad.

"It was a big day for the club and to score an important goal was a good feeling. It's a memory that people still talk about to this day and it was the first of the three promotions so that made it special."

Pictures of the celebrations have gone into Cherries folklore, with Connell talking through how the players toasted the success.

"On the pitch the fans ran on at the final whistle and then in the changing rooms afterwards the celebrations continued before we went out to the directors' box at the top with all the supporters down in front of us," he said.

"It was a great day and then when we all got back to Bournemouth we went out as a team and enjoyed the evening back in the town."