Cherries star Steve Fletcher believes fellow frontmen Stevie Lovell and Danny Ings are blossoming as a strike partnership.

The duo, both products of the Dean Court youth system, have been paired in attack in Cherres past four games and have helped Lee Bradbury’s men earn eight points to reach the play-offs.

Lovell, plagued by injury for much of the season, netted his first goal for the Dean Court outfit in Saturday’s draw at Hartlepool.

Ings has also been in goalscoring form during the recent unbeaten sequence, netting twice against Yeovil and once in the morale-boosting win at Notts County.

Lovell and Ings could again be tasked with leading the line when Cherries host Rochdale in the final game of the regulation season tomorrow (3pm).

Player-assistant manager Fletcher highlighted the importance of communication between the pair as they look to build up a better understanding and share the workload.

But he feels they have combined well, particularly in the 2-2 draw in the north east.

He told the Echo: “I think it was the best they had worked together. I thought it was the best game Stevie has had since he joined us.

“It was going to take him a few weeks to get into the swing of things. It is not easy having been out for as long as he has to just come in and find you are back to your form within two or three weeks.

“But we need to play him and get him fit. We know how much of an asset he will be to this football club and he showed that against Hartlepool because he was outstanding.

“His link play was superb and he topped it off with a goal and worked hard. I thought Danny was the same.

“He again created a lot of chances for himself and was very unfortunate not to put away at least one.

“I thought they were magnificent and were a catalyst for our first-half performance, which was probably one of the best for a long time.”

Fletcher, who has netted six goals this season and continues to be an influential performer at the age of 38, added: “I think they are gelling really well at the moment and it was proven when they were on the pitch together at Hartlepool.

“I thought they linked very well and caused Hartlepool untold problems and could have had a couple of goals each.”

Cherries: (from) Jalal, Smith, Cooper, Pearce, Wiggins, Feeney, Arter, Robinson, McDermott, Lovell, Ings, Fletcher, Pugh, Dalla Valle, Molesley, Williamson, Purches, Hollands, Partington, Thomas.

Dale: (from) fon Williams, Wiseman, Widdowson, Holness, Joe Thompson, Barry-Murphy, Kennedy, Done, Josh Thompson, Adams, Akpa Akpro, Jones, O’Grady, Dawson, Atkinson, Williams, Flynn, Edwards.