STEVE Fletcher dramatically saved Cherries from defeat – and then admitted the prospect of a goalless campaign had been playing on his mind.

The veteran targetman came off the bench to net an injury-time equaliser as Cherries recovered from 2-0 down to claim a 2-2 draw at Walsall on Saturday.

First-half goals from Jon Macken and Andy Butler put the Saddlers deservedly in charge at the interval after a lacklustre opening 45 minutes from the visitors at Bescot Stadium.

But Michael Symes gave Cherries hope with a penalty before Fletcher timed his first goal of the season to perfection – meeting a Simon Francis cross to power home a header in the third minute of added time.

The 39-year-old club legend, who had scored in each of his previous 18 campaigns in Dorset, is now targeting more goals as he bids to play a part in Cherries’ League One play-off push.

Fletcher, sporting a trendy new ‘sweep-over’ haircut said: “If I’m honest, I had been thinking about scoring.

“I haven’t played a lot of minutes but, on Friday night at the hotel, I was thinking ‘is this one of the first seasons I have gone through without getting one goal?’ “If I was playing week in, week out, then it would be a major thing. I know I haven’t, but it still plays on your mind.

“I started late in the season last season and got a few off the bench, and it would be nice if I could emulate that this season.

“It is always nice to score and even more so to come back from 2-0 down.

“You have just got to battle and battle and hope something falls for you.

“I usually pull off to the back post and try to head them down for people, but I took a bit of a gamble and got a run on Manny Smith, the centre-half, and it came off the new haircut and straight into the roof of the net!

“It was fantastic for the boys because we gave it everything in the second half. As much as we weren’t at the races in the first half, I thought we made up for it in the second half.”

Cherries’ record appearance-maker revealed that the manner in which they extended to 11 their unbeaten away league run had felt like a victory.

Fletcher added: “Of course, we want to win every game, but it keeps the unbeaten run going and lifts the lads’ spirits.

“I know it is not as good as three points but it is almost as good as a win in terms of the feelgood factor of coming back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 in the 93rd minute.

“It keeps the unbeaten run going and that is important at this time of the season.”