Source: Bournemouth_Echo
Cherries: Lovell feeling good after full pre-season
SEASONED striker Steve Lovell is hoping to exorcise the ghost of his injury nightmare once and for all by returning to haunt League One defences for Cherries. Lovell, who signed a one-year deal with further 12-month option in May, could emerge as a key man for Cherries after spending much of last season sidelined by an ankle problem. Having returned to action towards the end of the campaign, the Verwood-raised frontman proved his quality with a finely-taken double in the play-off defeat at Huddersfield Town. A product of the Cherries youth system, fit-again Lovell is now aiming to keep himself away from the treatment table to become a star man for the club he first joined as a teenager. The forward has displayed his goalscoring talents and sharpness during pre-season by finding the net four times. Discussing his progress during Cherries' summer warm-up campaign, Lovell told the Daily Echo: Touch wood, everything has been good. I have been able to take part in all of pre-season and, hopefully, the injury side of things is behind me now. I am just looking forward to being involved and scoring goals again. I am getting fitter and stronger all the time. I am looking forward to getting a solid base behind me this season. In a way, I am still playing catch-up. But I am looking forward to it and things are moving on well. Because I missed such a long time, it is still going to take me a while to get back to where I was. But I am happy with the way things are going. Pre-season has been hugely important and we are almost back on a level playing field again. I am feeling good and going into games with confidence. Lovell endured a frustrating start to his second spell with Cherries and required surgery to finally cure a long-standing ankle injury. But now the former Scottish Premier League man is preparing to battle the likes of Danny Ings and Michael Symes for a place in Lee Bradbury's preferred frontline. He wants to continue where he left off last term at the Galpharm Stadium and believes Cherries' pre-season form points to a promising campaign ahead. Asked about his personal aims, Lovell added: Just to carry on how last season ended would be good. I feel we have still got a great bunch of boys here and we have got a good work ethic. I am looking forward to the season. I think we have showed against some good teams during this pre-season that we can do well.