Connell on taking players out of their comfort zones

Instead, the squad themselves were tasked with leading the game, giving the team talks throughout the matchday and deciding on tactical tweaks during the 90 minutes in the friendly at Staplewood.

The learning experience saw the side win the match 2-0 against strong category one opposition, goals in either half from Ben Winterburn and Remy Rees-Dottin deciding the Cherries' result - with Ollie Camis also saving a penalty.

Speaking to afcb.co.uk after the match, manager Connell talked about giving the players their added responsibility for the fixture.

He said: "We did it back in February and then I fed it back to the other coaches in the Academy after interviewing the players afterwards. I've done quite a bit of research into it and I found it to be quite beneficial and worthwhile, both for the staff and the players. 

"I just felt that for the group, as it's a new season, it was the right time for where the group's at.

"This was a moment for them to be taken slightly out of their comfort zone and for them to talk more, give better information and take ownership of what they're trying to do in their careers rather than just being told what to do and getting answers from myself and the staff.

"The overriding factor was to take them out of their comfort zones, see how they coped and how they responded.

"It was different for myself because I had to take that backwards step and watch the game from a higher view where I made notes. It was about what I saw in the football but just as importantly on the pitch from the players.

"The standards that we have day-to-day are a big part of the way we work and I think the boys delivered a really professional performance. In possession we caused Southampton a lot of problems, scored two lovely goals and generally were defensively we were quite sound.

"We had a couple of sloppy moments where we gave them opportunities but it's never easy to come away to come away a category one side like Southampton and do what we've done today.

"The players deserve a lot of credit but we'll review the performance and move onto the next game on Saturday and look to improve further."

The game comes after the youth team were knocked out of the Youth Alliance Cup at the weekend to Plymouth, with the reaction from the side a positive one.

"The performance was good today, the boys gave everything against Plymouth in the way that they always do. Then we were technically short and a little bit naive at times, whereas today we were where I would expect us to be - though there's still loads to work on.

"I freshened up the team, played players who I thought deserved the opportunity, including two under-16s. I thought they acquitted themselves well, Remy scoring his first goal for us was also pleasing.

"As I said to the players afterwards, this is the start to their professional careers. The competition for places in this squad and trying to get up to the next level is fierce, there's no hiding from that, so the players have to be ready for that and for taking their opportunities when they come along.

"Some of the players did themselves no harm today, that gives me plenty to think about going forwards."

It was also an important occasion for Maxwell Kinsey-Wellings, the central defender who swapped between Wednesday's two competing sides ahead of the fledgling current campaign.

"We got him from Southampton in the summer, so I can imagine that in his head today it was a big game for him," explained Connell.

"I thought he handled that really well and showed lots of promise, which is why we signed him in the first place. It was an encouraging day for him."