LEE Bradbury defended his tactics after Carlisle boss Greg Abbott claimed Cherries had adopted a long-ball approach due to their “desperation for a result”.

Miles Addison’s 83rd-minute equaliser earned Cherries a 1-1 draw against the high-flying Cumbrians as Bradbury’s men hit back to halt a run of five successive defeats.

The Derby loan star headed home a Marc Pugh corner to cancel out Lee Miller’s fourth-minute opener as the points were shared at Seward Stadium on Saturday.

Abbott said Cherries had “bombarded” the visitors’ goal and had “launched the ball forward at regular intervals”, adding it had not been “typical of the way they played”.

“They usually play great football and pass it about,” said Abbott. “Probably in their desperation for a result, they went longer and got into our box.

“They have got some big boys and they used that to their advantage.

“It wasn’t like a Bournemouth side I had seen play before. But they needed a win for their own situation and that was the way they chose to do it. We stood up to the test bravely, came away with a point and possibly should have got three.”

Bradbury, who has come under fire from some supporters for the style of football served up in recent weeks, hailed his players for “a good performance”.

In an interview with BBC Radio Solent, Bradbury was asked by reporter Andrew Hawes whether he had been happy to sacrifice a passing game in pursuit of a positive outcome.

“Yes, I suppose,” he replied. “I want us to be a good footballing team but I want us to win games and get results so we have got to mix it up a little bit. We have got to be comfortable doing both.

“I thought there were a lot of positives. We played some all-right football but we mixed it up. We did what we had to do to get a point out of the game or to try to get a result out of the game.

“That is the sign of a good team. You can’t always play great football.”

Bradbury added: “It was a nightmare start for us but I thought we showed a lot of character and always looked like scoring.

“The lads worked really hard for one another and I was proud of the way they put themselves about.”

• The Daily Echo has been informed by the AFC Bournemouth press office that we will no longer be permitted to attend post-match interviews which take place pitch side at Seward Stadium.