BOSS Lee Bradbury offered rich praise to Wes Fogden after the rookie playmaker made an impressive start to his Cherries career.

Fogden produced an eye-catching performance on his full debut at Colchester United on Tuesday night.

Playing just behind the striker in an attacking midfield role, the former Brighton trainee showed some neat touches in a lively display.

Signed on a three-year deal from non-league Havant & Waterloo-ville earlier this month, Fogden had previously made three substitute appearances for Cherries.

Bradbury, who felt his team had deserved to win Tuesday’s clash before it ended in a 1-1 draw, said: “I thought Wes Fogden was probably the best player on the park for us.

“He was different class. He had great energy levels and worked really hard. He set the standard for the rest of the team.

“He has played off the striker quite a lot. He can play on either wing or up front in a partnership.

“He has got a lot of uses. He showed on Tuesday night what great quality he has, what a great professional he is and the fitness he has as well.”

Discussing the game at Colchester on Tuesday night, Bradbury added: “We made a great start with a great finish from Wes Thomas and there were a lot of positives to be taken from the performance.

“It was just a mistake on our behalf that let them back into the game. I think we made the better chances and deserved to win. We just need to be able to lock out games better and show the experience to see out games.”

Meanwhile, Bradbury revealed he was hoping to have Mark Molesley fit for selection for the League One trip to Preston on Saturday. The midfielder has stepped up his recovery from a hamstring injury.