COACH Peter Grant insists Cherries will be the best prepared side in Division Two come the big kick-off after seeing his boys chalk up their fourth pre-season victory in five at Bashley.

Grant, deputising for boss Sean O'Driscoll who was on a scouting mission at Havant and Waterlooville, admitted he was delighted with the attitude Cherries showed in over-coming their stubborn non-league opponents.

After Bash astonishingly snatched the lead after only 22 seconds, Derek Holmes levelled matters just before the break before Danny Thomas clinched victory with four minutes remaining.

And with less than three weeks until they open their league account at Port Vale, Grant believes Cherries will be at the peak of their physical powers come August 9.

He said: "I do not think there will be anyone fitter than us and nobody will work as hard as we do come the start of the season.

"We have still got to get fitter and there is a lot of hard work still to be done. But the boys have taken on board what we have been doing very well and their attitudes have been spot-on.

"The days of running round forests for two or three hours for two weeks are long gone. Before it used to be judged on who was the first to be sick.

"But a lot more thought goes into it now, we do a lot of what we call Football running and we do it with the ball. Training has been going well. Everybody has been putting the effort and commitment in that we expect and even in the non-league games our attitude has been spot-on.

"I think anybody that has seen our pre-season games will see the boys have got the bit between their teeth because they have got a lot to prove in the second division."

He added: "Our fitness was tested against Bashley, the boys were up and down the pitch and they did all the simple jobs well.

"I was pleased with the performance but I was more delighted with their attitudes. These are the games that people say it is hard to lift yourself for.

"But it is not for us because we believe it does not matter who you play you have got to show the right attitude otherwise the games become the longest and poorest games you can take nothing from.

"I thought Bashley gave us a good test. They tried hard, the boys worked them hard and they were under pressure but I thought they played some nice stuff and obviously wanted to win."

Win Bashley obviously wanted to. And from the moment trialist and former Cardiff City hopeful Tony Wallis volleyed the hosts in front inside the opening 60 seconds, win Bash might have done.

For all their possession and positive forward movement, Cherries found it difficult to break down a determined Bash defence, led impressively by Aaron Cook.

And when their Football League neighbours did find a way past Cook and chums at the back, Cherries discovered one time Dean Court trialist keeper Simon Arthur in a stingy mood.

Brian Stock forced Arthur into turning his vicious shot-cum-cross round his right-hand post while ex-Bash star Wade Elliott's emotional homecoming was spoiled by a crossbar.

An industrious Holmes also saw two efforts fly high and wide from distance before the big Scot eventually got the better of the Bash defence to nod Thomas' chipped centre past new boy Arthur.

The wholesale changes to Cherries' line-up that were expected at half-time failed to materialise as regulars James Hayter, Marcus Browning and Garreth O'Connor remained on the sidelines.

But Warren Feeney, one player who was given the half-time nod, wasted little time in trying to add to his brace against Portsmouth on Saturday although the linesman's flag denied both he and Holmes inside a minute.

With clear-cut chances few and far between after the break, Thomas provided the game's decisive moment poking the ball under the body of David Elm after Holmes's curler had come back off a combination of bar and post.

Cherries: Moss (Scriven h-t), Broadhurst (Wood, 55), C Fletcher (Skelton, 60), Maher (Bond h-t), Cummings, Elliott, Stock, Canham, Thomas, Holmes, S Fletcher (Feeney h-t).