Source: Bournemouth_Echo
Fletcher insists 'upbeat' Cherries remain confident
CLUB captain Steve Fletcher urged his Cherries team-mates to put it right after their promotion hopes suffered a setback yesterday. The veteran targetman set his sights on an immediate return to form in the wake of the 2-1 loss against Bury at Dean Court. The reverse was the club's second in a row on home soil in 2010 following the forgettable 2-0 defeat against Northampton on January 2. First-half goals from Stephen Dawson and David Worrall put the visitors in the driving seat before Brett Pitman hit an injury-time consolation for Eddie Howe's promotion hopefuls. However, despite their disappointing opening to the year, Cherries remain well-placed in League Two, seven points clear of the play-off zone. And Fletcher, who was appointed to the figurehead role of club captain in a new year shake-up, insisted that confidence was still in plentiful supply in the Cherries dressing room. The 37-year-old, who came off the bench to set up Pitman's goal, told the Echo: You're going to have phases like this during a season and it's about how you react. It's how you respond and if our character is anything to go by we'll respond in the right way, that's for sure. I keep saying it but we've got a fantastic bunch of lads who won't let this get to them. We're all disappointed and we go home with our tails between our legs, of course we do. But then we start again tomorrow. We've got three away games in a row and we've got to put it right. It's as simple as that. We're not the type of team that is going to go home and not address the situation. We're an upbeat team. We believe in each other, we've got confidence and the manager has got confidence in us. Fletcher felt there were positives to be taken from Cherries' performance, despite the result. He added: I thought it was two teams that really went for it and played some good attractive football. I think if you were a neutral at the game you'd have enjoyed it. But 95 per cent of the people here were Bournemouth fans and they all went home disappointed because we were beaten and understandably so. I don't think it was for the lack of effort and the lack of trying. We played some good football at times but the two goals killed us.