Cherries goalkeeper Shwan Jalal is hoping a change in manager could lead to a change in fortunes.

Jalal made his first league start for almost 12 months when lined up in Cherries’ 1-1 draw at Scunthorpe on Saturday.

A mainstay of last season’s play-off near miss and the 2009-10 promotion campaign, Jalal has been forced to play second fiddle to summer signing Darryl Flahavan.

Former boss Lee Bradbury, who parted company with the club in March, chose Flahavan over Jalal, even though there had been little to separate them during pre-season.

Jalal featured in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy – including a 6-0 drubbing at Brentford in November – and replaced Flahavan at half-time in the 3-1 win at Yeovil on New Year’s Eve.

The 27-year-old, who had an operation to cure a long-standing back problem in February, wants to impress a new manager and is keen to win back his place.

He told the Daily Echo: “I am not going to lie, at times, I didn’t see eye to eye with the previous gaffer. But, for me, this is a clean slate. The (caretaker) manager has come in and given people a chance. When you are on the fringe, that is all you can ask. It is up to us to take our chance and show what we can do.

“I feel my performances in training have improved since the operation and feel I am back to my old self again. I can do things without coming off the pitch and being in pain.

“The positives for me this season are that I have picked up a bit more experience and am pain free after the operation. I can’t thank enough the physio, Steve Hard, and the surgeon, Evan Davis.”

Jalal, who works on a daily basis with Cherries goalkeeper coach Neil Moss, added: “It is one of those seasons when I have tried to take the positives. I have been working with a keeper of Flavs’ ability and have taken a couple of things from him. He is a very tidy goalkeeper and, in essence, that is one of the things I can take from him.

“We have a great relationship and get on really well. That is what has made it even harder though because the guy has had your place all season. Mossy works us both hard and I will come back and try to win back my place next season.

“At the start of the season, Mossy said whoever got the shirt wasn’t going to lose it. I like to think I am a consistent goalkeeper and you can see what Flavs has done. He has played 400-500 league games and has performed really well and been really consistent. I just want to give myself a good pre-season and take it from there.”