STEPHEN Purches admitted his Cherries Under-21s side might have played with greater control following the 2-2 draw with Exeter City at Canford Park Arena.

With first-team players Ryan Fraser and Tyrone Mings in the line-up, Purches's charges took the lead in the Central League clash through Jordan Lee but then fell behind to goals either side of the break.

However, Mikael Ndjoli's precise finish earned the home side a share of the spoils as first-team boss Eddie Howe and assistant Jason Tindall looked on.

Boss Purches told the Daily Echo: "It was bitty with regard to the sort of control we aim to play with. There were a few too many turnovers from our point of view.

"There was no real control of what we were doing apart from in short spells. You hope there is a tempo which you can control and I don't think we really did that.

"It's something to learn from. You can't always score and play at 100mph – sometimes you need to build it up.

"When we went at them with pace, we gave them problems and it's about getting that control right.

"The decision-making was not exactly where we needed it to be."

The home side created the first chance of note in the ninth minute, Kieran Bailey showing fine technique to tee himself up and volley against the inside of the post.

Cherries took the lead midway through the half when Jordan Lee hurtled forward from right-back and his tenacious charge was rewarded with an unerring finish into the top-left corner.

It took a full-length stop from Cherries keeper Callum Stanton to deny Joel Grant and after Fraser spurned a gilt-edged opportunity, Liam McAlinden swiftly supplied the equaliser from close range.

Grant stung Stanton's palms and Bailey screwed across goal at the other end in the closing minutes of the half.

The second period began in frantic fashion, Matt Jay sending Stanton the wrong way from the penalty spot after the home keeper was judged to have brought down the Exeter man with fewer than 40 seconds played.

Jay came perilously close to a quick-fire second and Ndjoli made him pay minutes later when he rifled across stopper James Hamon and in off the post.

Former Millwall frontman Ndjoli was denied his second goal by the offside flag and the remainder of proceedings petered out somewhat, although substitute Mihai Dobre came close to supplying Cherries' third.

Fraser nearly provided a stoppage-time winner but Hamon made himself big and came to the rescue for the visitors.

Reflecting on the inclusion of Fraser and Mings in the side, the latter at centre-half, Purches added: "It's always good having the first-team lads here because they play with a calmness our lads can learn from.

"Hopefully, they get their minutes out of it and our lads learn what is expected in the first team."

Cherries: Stanton, Lee, Harfield, McCarthy (Dobre, 68), Jordan, Mings, Fraser, Worthington, Ndjoli, Bailey (Surridge, 65), O'Connell. Unused subs: Buckley, Dennis, Taylor.