KEVIN Bond is hoping to persuade Saints boss George Burley to let him keep loan star David McGoldrick until the end of the season.

McGoldrick brought the curtain down on his month's stay at Dean Court by helping Cherries to a 1-0 win over Millwall on Saturday.

The 19-year-old striker, who passed a late fitness test on a knee injury, has scored twice in six appearances for Cherries and featured in three league wins.

Bond said: "With the greatest respect to us, I'm sure David would sooner be in Southampton's first team than ours at this moment in time and I wouldn't blame him for that.

"If his time is up here, I'm sure he wants to know if he's in with a squeak of being in their first team and, if he is, I'm sure he'd like to stay there and help them get into the play-offs.

"He's done really well for us and I really want him to stay. I've told him that but I'm in his and George Burley's hands."

McGoldrick is likely to face Cherries when the two clubs clash in the Pontin's Holidays Combination at Staplewood on Tuesday (7pm).