BOSS Alan Connell is pleased Cherries’ development squad have “retained their identity” despite fielding a much-changed team in recent weeks.

Cherries are still well in the hunt for an end of season play-off place, and face Birmingham City at St Andrew’s on Monday (7pm).

Before Christmas, Connell’s side embarked on a 12-match unbeaten run, keeping a string of clean sheets.

However, injuries have since kicked in, as well as a number of players key to that run heading out on loan.

Cherries lost 2-0 against an impressive Sheffield United outfit last time out at Vitality Stadium, with a number of under-18s involved in the contest.

“Cam (Plain) has been out for a while through injury and so has Noa (Boutin),” Connell told the Daily Echo.

“Ben Greenwood, Daniel (Adu-Adjei), Ferdi Okoh and Jack Wadham are on loan, so we have been different.

“We are a bit younger than we were at the start of the season. But what has pleased me is our identity has remained the same, both in and out of possession throughout the season.

“Results are what they are, but you obviously can’t control it necessarily.

“But the identity of the group is there that I want to see and we’re still in the hunt to try and achieve something, so we’ll be going all out to try and do that in the last few games.”

The top two in the southern section will head into the Professional Development League play-offs, Cherries currently sitting fourth, one point behind second-placed QPR with three games to play.

Asked if he thinks the battle will go right to the wire, Connell said: “This is the beauty of being in the league we’re in and the way the play-offs work in this league.

“Like I’ve said to the players, this is hopefully the last time that a lot of them will be in a non-first team at the end of the season, so embrace any pressures that come with trying to achieve something, because anything worth fighting for is going to be difficult.

“We’ve got to continue to work on the training ground in the way that we are. I’ve got full belief in this group of players and what we can achieve in these last three games.”

Asked if he will be passing on any advice from his own career about how to get over the line at the end of the season, Connell achieving promotion with Cherries, Swindon Town, Bradford City and Poole Town, the development squad boss said: “There would be something wrong if we didn’t intend to win every match we play. Of course we try to win every match we play.

“With regards to using my own experiences, I think that’s always a balance because someone of my age and with my experience, I want to share those moments, but you also don’t want to talk about yourself all the time.

“So it’s about picking your moments when you feel it’s relevant. But having been there in these situations in my career, this stage of the season when the prizes are handed out, it’s great for the players to go through what they’re going through at the moment.

“Be disappointed with defeat, but know that there’s another game coming up that we need to be ready for.”