AFC Bournemouth
Full-back Finn Tonks has aired his belief that the development squad can show what they are capable of in tomorrow’s clash with Sheffield Wednesday at Vitality Stadium.
The 1pm kick-off on home soil will be held behind closed doors but will continue a string of notable experiences for Alan Connell’s team.
Last time out in the Professional Development League, the Cherries were beaten 3-0 by Barnsley at Oakwell and that result has Tonks aiming for better.
“The team has fit in really well in this category-two league,” he told afcb.co.uk ahead of Wednesday’s visit.
“Last week, we had a bit of a setback but tomorrow is a good chance to show what we’re capable of and what we’ve been practicing on the training pitch.
“We all believe in what we can do, as we’ve previously proved against good category one and two teams.”
Tonks added: “Last season, the development squad just had friendlies, so it’s good to have that competitiveness now.
“We can play week in, week out instead of going on loan, meaning we can stay as a group and get used to each other’s game.”
With the Owls next up, the Cherries defender is keen to see how the development squad can fare in their latest challenge.
He said: “We’ve had a look at them and they look physically strong, quick and technically good players.
“It’ll be a good test for us but we’ve got plans to how we can combat that out on the pitch.”
An extra incentive comes with playing at Vitality Stadium, a first for Connell’s academy side this season.
“As the development squad, all of our games so far have been in stadiums, which is good preparation for stepping into first-team football,” Tonks explained.
“To have that stadium feel is great to prepare us for the future. We’ll have a nice home feel tomorrow, too.
“We’ve all played at Vitality Stadium before but it’s a nice feeling when you step out into your home stadium.”
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