SKIPPER Tommy Elphick has called on his colleagues to make it “a bad time to play” Cherries when they face a rejuvenated Nottingham Forest tonight (7.45pm).

Forest have rattled home 14 goals and picked up 10 points from their four Championship fixtures under new manager Dougie Freedman.

Meanwhile, Cherries have endured a mixed run in recent weeks with dropped points against Huddersfield and a defeat at Brentford hampering their promotion bid.

But while Elphick acknowledges that the timing of fixtures can have a bearing on results, he insists Cherries must seize control and become masters of their own destiny.

Elphick told the Daily Echo: “Forest have been revitalised under the new manager and some big players have come to the fore. They have had a few big results so it will be a tough task.

“Momentum can be a factor at times and the margins are so small. We can take a lot from the Brentford game because it will be a similar situation where everybody is galvanised.

“But we have come so far now and it has to be about us.

“I think we have a point to prove. We want to get back to winning ways and into that top two which has to be our sole motivation.

“Whether you play a team at a good or bad time, the players make that situation and we need to create a bad time to play Bournemouth because we are hurting a little bit.”

The captain also revealed that Cherries’ setback against the Reds in August would act as an added motivation.

Cherries bossed the first half and went on to take the lead at Dean Court but allowed their lead to slip in a 2-1 home defeat.

“Everybody looks back on that game as one we should have won,” said Elphick.

“It sticks in the memory but one thing we are doing well this season is learning from these situations.

“We realise that they have dangerous players who can hurt you at any time throughout the 90 minutes and we need to see these games out.

“Hopefully the things we have picked up on since then and over the past couple of games will have the same effect during the run-in.”