BOURNEMOUTH’S spirited rather than polished display saw them bounce back from five straight defeats to secure a 31-15 bonus-point win over Southend.

And despite some nervy play in a first half that ended 12-12, there was no doubting the tenacity that David Dunn’s men showed during the second period, overpowering their Essex visitors with sheer brute force.

The hosts deservedly opened the scoring when Dan Connolly quickly snatched a loose ball from a scrum and drove over the line with Dan Pollard’s successful conversion handing them an early seven-point tonic.

But Southend quickly hit back as Sonny Gay left Ben Stevenson in his wake before being halted by Paul O’Brien, but with the visitors attacking in numbers, Sam Cook bustled his way through with Bradley Burr converting.

Lions kept probing with Pollard barged out of play inches from the try line before Scott Chislett grabbed a second, to put the hosts 12-7 up.

Dunn’s charges were made to pay for some sloppy passing right on half time as the try of the day levelled matters. Scrum-half Perry Sansom caught his own dink forward to burst 30 yards down the right and score a slick individual effort.

Bournemouth were undeterred by the setback, though, and came out with renewed purpose after the break.

Stevenson seemed set to send Pollard over the line soon after the restart only for Southend’s Billy Driver to slap the ball down, a deliberate infringement that resulted in a penalty try, which Pollard duly converted.

The game began to open up with Chris Hughes driving inside to smash his way through two challenges, securing the bonus point, before Tommy Booth, who was influential all afternoon, bludgeoned his way through from the back of a scrum in Southend’s 22 to register a fifth try.

Lions: Stevenson, O'Brien, Connolly, Chis-lett, Pollard, Drake (Stewart, 61), Hardcastle, Carrel (Featherstone, 55), Manning, Firetto (Wilford, 69), Seward (Brooks, 69), Forrest, Hughes, Hart (Cawley, 55), Booth.