BRETT Pitman bagged a brace as a Cherries side bolstered by four first-team players went nap in their development squad friendly at Southampton.
The Jersey-born hitman and Ryan Fraser featured for the first hour of the 5-1 success and both had a hand in Cherries’ three-goal haul inside the opening 13 minutes.
Pitman slotted home a second-minute penalty after Fraser had been upended before the Scotland under-21 winger doubled Cherries’ lead with less than five minutes on the clock.
The early goal frenzy continued when Jamal Branker pulled one back for the hosts but Fraser quickly set-up Pitman to score his second at the far post.
Jake McCarthy and Brandon Goodship netted in the second half of a match which saw goalkeeper Ryan Allsop and injury-plagued winger Mohamed Coulibaly play 75 minutes.
But while Pitman took the full-time plaudits, development coach Stephen Purches felt Cherries' bright beginning stemmed from setting a quick pace from the outset.
“Brett looked very sharp but then all the lads did,” he said. “We made a strong start and set a good tempo all over the pitch which gave us the platform to build from.
“We stepped off it a little bit after the first 20 minutes but soon got going again and played some very good stuff in the second half.
“While there were a couple of first-team players out there, it was still a young side and I was pleased with the attitude from everyone. It has been spot on in every game we have played, whoever has turned out.
“We have a decent group who just want to get better all the time and take their chance to impress.
"That is how you expect it to be but it pleases me just how much desire the lads show in these games.”
Cherries: Allsop (Holmes, 75), Muleba, McCarthy (Kaye, 75), Cargill (Butcher, 70), Bihmoutine, Fraser (Whitfield, 64), Wakefield, Carmichael (McDermott, 75), Coulibaly (Losasso, 75), Pitman (Bassele, 64), Goodship.
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