ASSISTANT boss Steve Fletcher is desperate for Cherries to retain their prized assets and insists the current crop would have a major chance of succeeding in League One next term.

Cherries’ against-the-odds run to the third tier play-offs thrust the club’s players under the spotlight.

Fletcher revealed a number of scouts from rival clubs had attended Cherries matches to run the rule over the highly rated Dean Court squad.

But despite the possibility of interest in the club’s leading lights, veteran striker Fletcher has set his sights on keeping hold of Cherries’ top names.

He hopes the players will want to stay in Dorset following this season’s promotion push, which ended in a penalty shootout defeat at Huddersfield Town on Wednesday.

Fletcher, who yesterday joined manager Lee Bradbury in meetings with members of the club’s squad prior to the summer break, insists they can achieve if they remain together.

He told the Echo: “The down side of having such a good team is that it brings people to watch them.

“We have so many scouts at games but we can’t help that. All we can do is try to hold on to what we have got.”

Asked how he felt Cherries could do if the squad remained intact for the 2011-12 campaign, Fletcher said: “We can be right up there again.

“If we can hold this team together, we have got a massive chance. We showed on Wednes-day what we were all about.

“Anyone watching the game must have thought ‘wow, what a fantastic advertisement for League One football’.

“We get it down and play and try to do it the right way. I thought we were absolutely outstanding.”

Fletcher added: “When you are part of the management, you just hope and pray that the players want to be here. There is no reason why not.

“We have a fantastic team spirit and I think that is something we all agree on.

“From me to Warren Cummings to Bradders, all the experienced boys have said they have never experienced a team spirit like it.

“I don’t want to lose that.”

Cherries chairman Eddie Mitchell has already declared his desire to retain the squad.

He said: “There isn’t one player we want to lose. We’ve got a great squad, it has got us this far and we want to keep it together.”