BOURNEMOUTH Poppies’ place in the 2015-16 Sydenhams Wessex Premier was rubber-stamped yesterday.

Totton & Eling’s 3-0 loss at Winchester meant it would be impossible for Poppies to finish in the bottom two.

For their part, Ken Vaughan’s side battled back from 2-0 down to draw 3-3 with Verwood at Potterne Park.

Substitute Declan Cleft and Steve Richardson put the hosts 2-0 up with goals either side of half-time.

But Diane Bassiriki pulled one back and a Connor Doe header levelled matters.

Cleft restored the Verwood lead but a late free-kick from Fawzi Saadi ensured honours ended even.

Poppies boss Vaughan said: “People have been telling me for four or five games that we’re safe but I thought we needed a few more points.

“It’s been hard work this season, to say the least. One way or another, we won’t let a season like that happen again.”

Verwood manager Carl Poore said: “It’s been a feature of our season that we have conceded too many goals and it’s something we need to work on.

“It wasn’t the best of games even though there was six goals.”

POTTERS: Lynch, Evans, Murray, McGilchrist (Cleft, 30), Gajic, Richardson, Rutten (Green, 83), Dyer, Brimson, Groves, Buck. Unused sub: Collins.

POPPIES: Vaughan, Nmemachena, Joseph, Molyneaux, Ami, Saadi, Snadden, Evans, Pekun, Bassiriki, Doe. Unused subs: Leonard, Rhodes, Makhloufi.