GARRETH O'Connor has admitted he would be happy to extend his loan period with Cherries if boss Kevin Bond wanted him to stay.

O'Connor, hampered by niggling injuries since he arrived at Dean Court on loan from Burnley in early August, is fully fit again after recovering from a thigh strain.

He completed a 90-minute run out in a youthful looking Cherries Reserves side's 7-1 home defeat against a far more experienced Bristol City outfit last night.

Then the Dubliner said: "I would be happy with an extension if Bournemouth want me.

"My current loan period is over on October 12 and although the club hasn't said anything to me about it, I want to stay.

"My time here has been frustrating because I keep picking up niggling injuries.

"I missed 10 to 12 days of pre-season and that is hard. I've just come back from a thigh strain in my right leg and I haven't had three weeks of continually playing since I've been here.

"First I suffered a thigh strain in my left leg and then I had a rib injury. But I felt good tonight and the right thigh is great again. Now it is just a matter of getting in more games.

"Hopefully I will be in contention for the first team against Carlisle on Saturday."

Cherries' hardworking young team conceded a Phil Jevons hat-trick, and further goals from Enoch Showunmi, Kevin Betsy, Tamas Vasko and Robert Stambolsiev.

But they did get a stunning consolation from Brett Pitman, who planted a firm header from O'Connor's cross into the top left hand corner to make it 2-1 in the 20th minute.

O'Connor said: "Some of our players are only 15 or 16 and most of our first team would have found it hard against City tonight. Our youngsters acquitted themselves well. It seems we got battered but we created a few chances ourselves."

Cherries Reserves manager Eddie Howe added: "We did well considering the circumstances and the team we put out. Bristol's side were basically the team that got them promotion out of our league last season.

"Our attitude was good and we created some good chances and could have scored a few more."

Cherries received a third-minute blow when loanee Jean Christophe had to go off through injury.

Howe said: "He took a knock on the wrist and was in a lot of pain. Losing him was disappointing for us as we were looking for Jean to help the younger boys, and it made our team even younger when he went off."

Cherries: Stewart, Reeve, Newman, Querec, Finlay (Newton 58), O'Connor, Partington, Christophe (E Cooper 3), Pitman (Hutchings 72), Whittingham, Vokes. Unused subs: Pryce, Webb.