STEVE Fletcher has told Jeff Goulding he may have to sacrifice his good looks in a bid to transform himself from poodle to pit bull.

And Goulding, a possible heir to Fletcher’s crown, knows he needs to develop a nasty streak in order to become a genuine dog of war.

Fletcher and Goulding both netted twice during Cherries’ impressive 4-1 victory over Bradford on Tuesday, their biggest league win for more than 13 months.

Paired together for the first time at Exeter, the unlikely double act helped Cherries complete a quickfire hat-trick of wins to send them seven points clear of the drop zone. Fletcher also took four stitches to a head wound following a clash with City defender Graeme Lee, an occupational hazard that Goulding knows should also be shared.

“I know I could be more aggressive,” said the 25-year-old striker. “But while I’m scoring goals and keeping my face intact, I’ll take that!

“You can’t fail to learn from Fletch. He puts his head in where it hurts and we get chances from it. I’d love to be able to do that and will be looking to add it to my game. I think I’ve got better but it’s something I need to work on.

“He’s got so much experience and has been great with me. He talks to me on the pitch and I take on board everything he says. It seems to be paying dividends.

“You’ve got to respect someone like him. He’s been around and it can only help me with my game.

It’s great having him to learn from and he’s helped bring on my game.

"You are always going to meet people who can help you throughout your career. I'm lucky because we've got players like Fletch, Lee Bradbury and Warren Cummings who have all helped me."

Goulding's start at Exeter was his first for Cherries for five months, while his goals against Bradford were his first since he scored against them at Valley Parade in September.

Farmed out on loan to Eastbourne before Christmas, his clinically-executed double also came just days after he had missed a few chances during Cherries' 2-0 win at Macclesfield.

"It was a bit of a relief to get the goals," admitted Goulding. "I know I missed a couple of good chances at Macclesfield but I've always been pretty confident in myself.

"I know that if I get a few games under my belt and get a few chances, I'll put a few away. The first one against Bradford was similar to the first one I missed on Saturday.

"To be honest, I was just happy with the result and with my performance. To get the two goals was the icing on the cake for me.

"It's been an up-and-down season for me but the lads have always been behind me. I was always confident I could come back and play some games and do my bit for the team.

"We know we've still got a lot of hard work to do and nothing is done and dusted by any means. But we don't fear anyone at the moment and are making it difficult for teams. Long may it continue."