With first team appearances restricted due to injury at the start of the season, and Adam Smith performing well at right back, Stephen Purches has had to bide his time for a return to the starting line up, having been restricted to just 8 appearances so far this season.
Purches is quoted in the Bournemouth Evening Echo as saying: "Fortunately, I have never been in this position before. It has been a new experience for me and I have stayed positive. Coming back here in the summer was the perfect move for me. Pre-season went well, as did the first few games, and I was pleased with how I had been playing. There is never a good time to get injured and, unfortunately, I took longer to recover than I would have liked. Adam came in and has played well, as has the team. It happens in football and, once you lose the shirt whether through injury or form, sometimes it can take a while to get it back. But you can either sulk and mop about or train hard, play hard and push yourself on. As frustrating as it has been for me, the ultimate goal is for us to win promotion and we are on target to achieve that".