GRADUATES Josh McQuoid, Joe Partington and Ryan Pryce have experienced fluctuating fortunes during their pre-season initiations.

But despite a mixed bag for the trio of rookies, Cherries boss Kevin Bond says his latest intake of professionals have all "come back better players".

Frontman McQuoid has probably enjoyed the most fruitful warm-up campaign, featuring in every friendly and scoring during the 3-0 win at Poole.

Goalkeeper Pryce has been restricted due to the arrival of loan signing Shwan Jalal, while midfielder Partington has been nursing a nagging hip injury.

Bond told the Daily Echo: "Joe has been very unfortunate and has had a stop-start time of it. He did most of the pre-season running and was very fit.

"But he picked up a niggling injury, which has forced him to miss most of the matches. In fact, he came on at half-time at Eastleigh and had to come off again.

"Although we haven't really had a great deal of time to see him, what I have seen has reinforced why we gave him another year.

"Ryan has featured in a couple of games and has looked assured. I will be looking for him to contest the first-team place. I needed another goalkeeper, which is why I brought in Shwan.

"I brought in the best possible goalkeeper I could and it's every man for himself. Shwan is probably going to be my number one choice from the outset but I fully expect Ryan to be breathing down his neck.

"We have probably seen more of Josh than we have of the other two. He has come back a better player and is most certainly going to be playing his part this season.

"All three of them are going to be playing a part. They have all got an enormous amount to learn and a lot of developing to do. But they've all come on and hopefully will come on a lot more still."