DAILY Echo Youth Sport kit competition winners Canford Heath under-10s were at the Goldsands Stadium on Saturday to cheer on the Cherries in their brand new strip.

The youngsters welcomed Paul Groves’s side on to the pitch with a guard of honour after having their photograph taken with goalkeeper Darryl Flahavan, new signing Frank Demouge and record appearance holder Steve Fletcher .

While the Cherries couldn’t quite claim all three points on the day, it was a day the budding young players would never forget after they got an insight into life behind the scenes at their local football club.

Manager Danny Monk was delighted to see his side receive the new kit, sponsored by Cherries commercial partners and independent financial advisors Talk Moneywise, and hopes it will give his side a boost as they look to make a positive start to the new season.

“It was amazing when we got the news that we had won the competition because the team have played in the same kit for the last two seasons,” he said.

“When the boys were told they were going to watch AFC Bournemouth and form a guard of honour as the two teams ran out onto the pitch, they were overjoyed with excitement.

“It was a good day and an enjoyable game. The boys got to meet and have a team photo with Steve Fletcher and the Talk Moneywise mascot, and it was great to meet the people behind the company who will be sponsoring us this season.”

As well as the kit, a member of the Cherries first team squad will attend a Canford Heath game this season as part of the prize.

They were just one of a number of local teams to enter the Echo’s kit competition in July after writing to the paper to explain why they felt they should receive a new strip for the upcoming campaign.

All of the entries were then published in the Youth Sport supplement a couple of weeks later and readers were invited to choose the winner.