Source: Bournemouth_Echo
Cherries: Fletcher hails 'best bond' he has ever known
CLUB captain Steve Fletcher is hoping the bond among united Cherries could prove a secret weapon during the tense final stages of their promotion battle.[LNB] The veteran striker has described the camaraderie and togetherness in the current Cherries camp as the best and strongest I have known in 21 years in the game.[LNB] Fletcher, who first arrived at Dean Court in 1992, has been pivotal in Cherries' revival since boss Eddie Howe brought him back to his spiritual home 13 months ago.[LNB] The popular Teessider's headed opener paved the way for Cherries' midweek win over Barnet as Howe's men moved to within two points of League Two leaders Rochdale.[LNB] Fletcher, Cherries' record appearance-maker, told the Daily Echo: We are united as a team and having such a small squad has brought us together.[LNB] In any job, the smaller the team, the closer the unit and that has certainly been the case with us. We fight for one another and are all in it together whether we win, lose or draw. We will take the criticism and the plaudits as one.[LNB] I have never been involved with a team that has been so united and so together. We are fiercely determined to achieve something this season.[LNB] We've got a lot of young players here and, when I was young, you just wanted to play in the team and didn't care about anything else. It's not like that now.[LNB] There are no cliques and everyone gets on brilliantly with each other. We have our banter and we have our moments when opinions are voiced.[LNB] But it has brought us closer together and has been the main reason why we have done so well this season. We've stuck together as a unit.[LNB] Sometimes, we've only had three or four on the bench, while some of the lads have been playing through injury. I just hope we get what we deserve, but we know there is still a lot of football to be played.[LNB] Fletcher's effort against Barnet saw him become the club's second-highest post-war leading league goalscorer, passing James Hayter's tally of 94.[LNB] He added: I'm proud to be up there but, if you're going to be at a club for 17 years and you're a striker, you would expect to be there or thereabouts.[LNB] I don't have to say too much about my goalscoring record, it's there for everybody to see. It's not great and I admit that.[LNB] If I had been more prolific, who knows where it could have taken me. But there's nothing I can change about it now.[LNB] It's great when I score but it gives me almost as much enjoyment when I set one up for someone else. That's what my career has been about.[LNB]
