CHERRIES star Simon Francis has set his sights on starting another appearance run after his impressive unbroken sequence was ended by injury.

Francis had featured in 77 consecutive league games before a minor hamstring problem ruled him out of Cherries’ Championship clashes against Nottingham Forest and Blackburn.

The 29-year-old defender, who had missed just three out of 133 games since joining Cherries in November 2011, returned for the 1-1 draw at Norwich.

Francis told the Daily Echo: “It was an unorthodox way of injuring my hamstring and it was quite low down behind the knee. I stretched for a ball and just felt it cramp up. I couldn’t remember the last time I had got cramp in a game so it surprised me.

“I thought it was only cramp so played on for the remaining half-an-hour. I had a scan the next morning and it showed a grade one tear. They told me to expect to be out for a week to 10 days and I was disappointed.

“I don’t get too many injuries and heal fairly quickly so wanted to play against Blackburn and Northampton. But the games came a bit too soon and the manager and medical staff told me to make sure I got it right for Norwich.

“The run of successive appearances had spurred me on because I want to play every game. I try not to think about getting injured or missing games and keep a positive frame of mind. It was disappointing to get injured so early in the season, especially after coming through pre-season.

“But I can’t complain too much. I was only in the treatment room for a week and it was hard work but some lads have been in there long term. I have huge respect for how Elliott Ward and Joe Partington have got through it mentally and keep working hard day in, day out.

“I got back fairly quickly and, if the international break ever comes at a good time, it probably came at a good time for me because I played at Norwich, recovered and then had a week to 10 days of training.

"The aim is to start another run and I am sure all the lads have the same mindset. You want to play as many games as you can and see where it goes from there.”

  • A goal from Cherries winger Ryan Fraser was in vain as Scotland under-21s’ hopes of qualification for the European Championship were ended by Slovakia on Thursday.

Fraser rounded keeper Dobrivoj Rusov to put Scotland 1-0 up midway through the second half in Senec, only for Ondrej Duda to equalise in the final minute.

Elsewhere, Cherries keeper Benji Buchel turned out for Liechtenstein in their 3-0 defeat to Bosnia-Herzegovina.