ACADEMY manager Joe Roach declared Cherries’ first Merit League outing a success as Carl Fletcher’s fledglings overcame Peterborough 4-2.

A penalty from Matt Worthington and further goals from Sam Surridge (2) and Jack Simpson saw the hosts take three points at Canford School.

And Roach felt the Cherries players deserved credit for their efforts in a muscular contest.

He told the Daily Echo: “It was quite feisty and tenacious in some areas and I think our players acquitted themselves well given the physicality of the game.

“For our first game in the Merit League, given that we had a few lads out on loan and others players injured, the side went out and continued to progress as they have done.

“We had a number of schoolboys involved in the squad, which was good, and over the course of the 90 minutes we were pretty happy with the outcome.

“The three goals we scored in open play were really well-taken. Carl has worked very hard on the set-piece organisation so we were pleased with the set-piece goals.”

In bitterly cold conditions, Cher-ries earned a first-half penalty following a shove in the box and Worthington sent the keeper the wrong way from the spot.

Home stopper Pat O’Flaherty was forced off with concussion after the restart and his replacement Mitch Steadman was powerless to stop a headed equaliser. Minutes later, Cherries took the lead once more as Henry Lander nodded through to frontman Sam Surridge and he lobbed the visiting stopper with ease.

A curling effort from outside the box restored parity but from that point, Cherries increased the pressure.

Nineteen minutes from time, a low, driven corner by Sam Matthews found Surridge and he slammed expertly into the back of the net.

In the closing stages, Cherries made sure of victory.

Space was created out wide for Matthews and once again he sent in a pinpoint delivery, which this time was nodded home by Simpson.

Cherries: O’Flaherty (Steadman, 60), Lee, Lander, Simpson, Harfield, Worthington, Miller, Matthews, Neal, Walker (O’Sullivan, 65), Surridge. Unused subs: Kendall, Young.